Answering the burning questions about Philip Rivers' comeback

Eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers is doing the unthinkable at age 44, returning to the NFL to join the injury-ravaged Indianapolis Colts after a whopping five-year retirement.

Why is this happening? What else could the Colts have done? We're here to answer those questions and more, so let's get started with the first burning question.

How did we get here?

Daniel Jones tore his Achilles on Sunday against Jacksonville, putting him out for the rest of the season. His backup, former first-round pick Anthony Richardson, is recovering from a broken orbital bone that he suffered in October, and he hasn't been cleared for football activities. Third-stringer Riley Leonard is battling a knee strain, leaving his status against Seattle up in the air. Indy also has Brett Rypien on its practice squad, but ... well, click on his name and press "Career" for more info.

Will this work?

Never say never, but the chances are extremely slim. It's hard enough playing quarterback in the NFL at any age, let alone when you're 44 and you've been gone for half a decade. Rivers is familiar with Colts coach Shane Steichen, who was his quarterbacks coach for a few years with the Chargers, but this is nothing more than a lottery ticket, especially since the rest of the league is near peak form at this stage of the season.

Which other QBs have come out of retirement in recent memory?

Teddy Bridgewater is the most recent case, but he returned as a backup. Tom Brady did it, but he was only retired for 40 days in the offseason, so that hardly counts. Jay Cutler retired in May 2017 and was set to become a game analyst for Fox Sports, but he came back to join Miami a few months later when Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending injury. Cutler had one of his worst seasons, then went back into retirement. And of course there were the Brett Favre sagas that led him to the Jets in 2008 and Vikings in 2009.

Has anyone come back from this long of a hiatus?

Steve DeBerg returned five years after he retired, joining Atlanta in 1998, so yes. He made one start, going 9-for-20 for 117 yards and an interception before being benched, and the Falcons lost the game 28-3 (yup, that was seriously the score).

Other notable hiatuses:

• Tommy Maddox was out of the NFL for six years between the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he played in the Arena Football League and the XFL for part of that time.
• Deion Sanders retired for three seasons, returning for a pair of campaigns with the Ravens in the 2000s.
• Prior to the modern era, Bronko Nagurski spent nearly six years in retirement before rejoining the Bears. He came back in 1943 when Chicago had players serving in World War II.

What other options did Indy have?

Tannehill, whose name came up earlier in this piece, is the highest-profile quarterback out there, though he recently told D.J. Siddiqi of The Escapist that he doesn't expect to play again. Other free agents include Taylor Heinicke, who nearly led Washington to an upset of Brady and the Buccaneers in the playoffs during Rivers' last season, Desmond Ridder, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Is the Colts' remaining schedule QB-friendly?

No, not at all. Indy closes out the season with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans. The 49ers are the only ones ranked in the bottom half of the league in defense.

What has Rivers been doing for the last 5 years?

The 44-year-old has been coaching football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, fulfilling a dream he had long before he hung up his spikes. He led the Cardinals to the Class 4A state semifinals this season.

What happens to his Hall of Fame bid?

Rivers is a semifinalist for the 2026 class. If he stays on the Colts' practice squad, he'll remain up for induction. If he signs to the active roster, his eligibility clock will reset, meaning it'll be another five years before he can appear on the ballot.