Philip Rivers Might Be Back in the NFL, and He's Also Now a Grandfather

After a 7-1 start, the Indianapolis Colts have faced a 1-4 skid, and their starting quarterback is now out with a torn Achilles tendon. Following this series of heartbreaking events, NFL reporter Ian Rapaport is now reporting that Philip Rivers, the long-time quarterback of the Chargers, is one of the people the Colts might turn to as their starter for the rest of the year.

“The #Colts are planning to bring potential Hall of Fame QB Philip Rivers into their facility Tuesday to work out to see if he may join their practice squad, per me & @MikeGarafolo,” Ian Rapaport wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “This is real. Daniel Jones’ season is over, Riley Leonard will start, but Rivers may be an option.”

Rivers, who is 44 years old, might play for the Colts while also being a grandfather. Here's what we know.

Rivers last played in the NFL at age 39, ending his career with a one-season stint with the Colts. Rivers, who married his sweetheart from high school in 2001, before he was in the NFL, has 10 children of his own, and one of them recently gave birth, per USA Today. Although you might think that Rivers' tenure would make him the first grandfather to play in the league, Brett Favre actually earned that distinction all the way back in 2010.

It's unclear how prominent Philip's role with the team might be, but what does seem evident is that the Colts are desperate to keep what once seemed like an incredibly promising season afloat. Rivers only has one grandfather at the moment, but given that he has 10 children, and that his kids seem to be having children as young as he did, it seems likely that he'll eventually have more.

Philip is just the latest quarterback to test the boundaries of age in the NFL. Tom Brady played in the league until he was 45, and Aaron Rodgers is hoping to lead the Steelers to a playoff berth at the age of 42. Philip might not be the team's go-to option, at least initially, it does seem like he's planning to be available for the team to help them make a push toward the playoffs.

What's most unusual about Philip's potential return to the NFL is that it seemed like his career had been over for some time. While veteran quarterbacks like Joe Flacco bounce around the league from team to team based on who needs him, Philip has not played NFL football in quite some time.

During the prime of his career, he was often considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league, although he never managed to receive the individual or team accolades that would make him an all-time great. Now, it seems the Colts want to see whether he's got anything left to offer the team that he closed his career with in their hour of need.