Philip Rivers

Eisen didn't get deep into specifics, but it sounds like Rivers reached out to the Dolphins and 49ers while the teams were dealing with injuries at quarterback. Rivers last played with the Colts in 2020 and is now 41 years old. The former eight-time Pro Bowler appeared in 12 playoff games in his career and was likely intrigued by the opportunity to step in and help a roster competing for a Super Bowl. Barring an unexpected announcement, we wouldn't expect Rivers to have any interest in returning for a full slate of games in 2023.

The news comes one week after the Saints reportedly checked in on Rivers, who spent the fall coaching football in southern Alabama close-ish to New Orleans. Although that was a geographical fit, Rivers would obviously be a much better system fit in the Colts offense he piloted to the postseason in 2020. Were he to come aboard, his primary task would be handing the ball off to Jonathan Taylor against the Raiders. Ultimately, there probably is not enough time to make this harebrained scheme work for Week 17. 

The Saints have not reached out — Rivers said so himself — but the 39-year-old would be interested in returning to the NFL after his St Michael's varsity team, less than three hours away from the Superdome and New Orleans, finished their season last week. Coach Sean Payton sounded disinterested when asked about bringing in outside help in place of Jameis Winston (torn ACL) on Monday but could be convinced if Taysom Hill and/or Trevor Siemian struggle in an interim role. It's unclear whether Rivers is actually in shape to return if called.

Rivers noted that he would not have made weight had he been asked to report to a team for training camp. He is currently coaching high school football and would likely want to see his first season as a coach all the way through before rejoining the league. That would put him on teams' radars around December. If Rivers isn't in playing shape and will be preoccupied with coaching for a few months, it's unlikely that he finds a home in the NFL this year. However, if a team were desperate enough, they would turn to Rivers before any currently available free agent. Rivers threw 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes in 2020. He may not be close to his prime, but Rivers would still be a serviceable emergency option for a team that sustains a quarterback injury late in the year.