Philip Rivers, Overweight And 44 Years Old, Joins Indianapolis Colts Practice Squad

The Philip Rivers experiment with the Indianapolis Colts took the next logical step on Tuesday when the quarterback and the team agreed to a contract and placed him on the team's practice squad.

This is amazing stuff as the Colts try to throw something of a Hail Mary to save their season on the brink.

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 12:  Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field in the second quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Colts defeated the Titans 34-17.  (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Everything We Know About Rivers To Colts

So, this is what we know:

* Rivers initially goes onto the practice squad to give himself and the team a chance to figure out to what degree he's ready to play in an NFL game. That's a significant question because while Rivers believes his arm is NFL ready, the rest of him isn't.

He has not played in the NFL since 2020 and he's admittedly 20-30 pounds heavier than when he played in his prime. 

So Rivers needs to be certain over the next few days of practice that the body is able even as his mind is willing.

* Assuming, Rivers can go through multiple days of practice in a ramp-up fashion, Rivers will be promoted to the active roster. It's still uncertain how Rivers will react after multiple days of practices.

If he is activated this week, he'd be active against an unforgiving Seattle Seahawks defense on Sunday that has not allowed a passing touchdown the last two weeks while collecting six interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.

Rivers Better Than What Colts Have?

* Rivers knows the Colts offense, or at least a significant portion of it. He played under head coach Shane Steichen when the coach was the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator. The two are friends and can work to hammer out a game plan that Rivers would be able to execute, assuming he's physically able.

* Expect any Indy offense with Rivers at quarterback to be a ball-out quickly attack. Neither Rivers nor Steichen want to give opposing defenses the opportunity to hit the 44-year-old quarterback too often.

* Why are the Colts doing this? Start with the fact they called other quarterbacks to gauge their interest in signing. They called Derek Carr, per a source.

But they go with Rivers because they believe that while his floor might be uncertain, his ceiling might also be higher than that of rookie Riley Leonard or journeyman Brett Rypien.

Colts Reached Out To Derek Carr

* Why is Rivers doing this? It's not for money. He has plenty of that following his 17-year NFL career that spanned from 2004-2020.

Rivers is doing it because he values the opportunity to perhaps win a Super Bowl. Yes, we know, unlikely. But he's now got a better chance than he did last week when he was completely out of the league.

The Colts at one point were the top seed in the NFL playoff race. They are now out of the qualifying top 7 but are not out of the chase that lasts through the end of the season. So they have a chance.

Rivers also likes the idea of bringing his family, particularly his eldest son Gunner, who is 17 years old, along for the NFL ride. 

Gunner is a quarterback at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where his father coaches. The kid has a throwing motion similar to his father. And dad apparently wants to give his son the experience of seeing what an NFL playoff chase is like.

Hall Of Fame Might Have To Wait

* There is a downside away from football for Rivers: If he is activated and plays, his Hall of Fame clock resets.

Rivers, out of the league for five years, this year became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He made it to the cut to 26 semifinalists. The Hall of Fame will eventually be voting for 15 finalists.

If Rivers makes that round of cuts but takes a snap for the Colts, the Pro Football Hall of Fame told me Monday evening Rivers would be removed from the ballot. 

Terrible news for the quarterback? Rivers is aware of the fallout. And he has apparently decided that  putting his Hall of Fame candidacy on hold for five years is a fair price to pay for the chance to finally win his first Super Bowl.