Philip Rivers was ready for Colts reunion long before they needed him

Philip Rivers is more ready to join the Colts than many might have imagined. 

The 44-year-old veteran quarterback is coming out of retirement to sign with the Colts’ practice squad following a workout with the team on Monday. 

Many have pointed to the relationship between Rivers and Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who had worked together during their time with the Chargers organization, but what wasn’t known was how much the two had been talking. 

That was until former NFL star and current CBS analyst J.J. Watt broke out an interesting tidbit on social media. 

“Fun Fact learned in production meetings,” Watt wrote on X. “Philip Rivers ran the same offense as the Colts for his son Gunnar’s HS team this season. He and Shane Steichen spoke weekly about it, discussing plays and even film. So familiarity with the scheme should be no problem whatsoever.”

Rivers had been coaching his son Gunner’s high school football in Alabama, and it seems he had been tapping Steichen for tidbits of wisdom, adding further context to the Colts’ decision to bring in the retired QB. 

Rivers has not played an NFL game since 2020 — his lone season with the Colts — but only retired from the league in July. 

Steichen was the Chargers quarterback coach from 2016-19 and the interim offensive coordinator in ’19, all while Rivers was still with the organization. 

Watt has been part of broadcasts of Colts games in the past, which is likely where the relevant information came from. 

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Watt is slated to call the game between the Bills and Patriots this upcoming weekend. 

Rivers could be thrown into the deep end, with the veteran QB potentially getting a start at some point, as backup Riley Leonard is week-to-week with a knee injury.