With the sudden collapse of the Colts’ offense, primarily looking at how both the starting and backup quarterbacks had season ending injuries, Philip Rivers coming back to play for the team was a clear sign of desperation. However, this surprising decision may lead to unexpected benefits in the future. 

Rivers had a very successful career, appearing in 8 Pro Bowls, being the passing yards, touchdowns and completions leader in the Chargers franchise, and finally being top 10 all-time in passing yards, touchdowns and completions. While he is only coming back for this season, his years of experience gives him multiple roles on the team, including being a mentor for the rookie QB’s and the more experienced ones as well. His excellent career and knowledge of the game allows him to teach the other quarterbacks different parts of the game they otherwise may not learn. This can include key points to look for while studying film, in-game adjustments and pre-game preparation. 

Another part of Rivers coming back is that he is already familiar with the Colts, since it has only been 5 years since he last played for them. This allows coaches and veteran players to be comfortable with him, making practices easier, and the overall transition back into the NFL smoother for Rivers.

Additionally, Rivers’ play style is unique as he carries a loud voice in more ways than one. On field, he is constantly calling out plays with total confidence, which boosts the overall confidence and morale on the offense. Off the field, he is always encouraging other players and holding them accountable. This brings out the best in everyone he interacts with because it demands focus and concentration from each player. This makes a huge impact on team chemistry, especially since a good part of the offense has gone down on injuries.

There are a lot of conflicts and worries about Philip Rivers coming back out of retirement. Rivers is 44 years old, making him the oldest player in the NFL right now. This brings concerns such as the possibility of him getting injured, as well questions about his stamina and if he can last a whole game. Additionally, Rivers stepping in after only 2 practices brings in a conflict with the rookie quarterbacks who now have to accept that they still have to watch instead of getting some playing time. 

While Rivers’ return back to the Colts is not permanent, the comeback of Rivers felt like a win now move which shows the poor long-term planning by General Manager Chris Ballard, especially after trading away future draft picks earlier in the season. The Colts are taking a step backwards after this signing as in 3 games they threw 3 interceptions and only scored 4 touchdowns and an 11% lower passing rate than the average quarterback in the NFL this past season. In addition, his 5.9 yards per attempt was a full yard below the league average, showing that his arm strength was diminished and the offense relied heavily on short, quick throws because he clearly wasn’t physically ready to come back to the NFL. 

The Colts started the season that make everyone on Indiana have a lot of excitement in going back to the playoffs and even though the managers couldn’t control the injuries that the team suffered, the decision of bringing back Rivers was a step backwards as they lost their chance in the playoffs and instead of giving developing players some games they only ended up playing one which means their development in the NFL has been delayed which means it will take even longer to build a team around a quarterback that can be capable of taking a team to the big stage. The Colts are expecting big results when they don’t have a powerful roster that can be capable of making a deep run in the post season.