Phil the Thrill
Philip Rivers just left the door open for an NFL return; dagummit, let’s do this
Earlier this week, new Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz—a man seemingly hewn from your grandmother’s fine china—pulled out of training camp with an innocuous foot injury. After seeing a specialist and determining that it was the occurrence of an old injury from his high school days, both Wentz and the Colts opted for surgical repair, delaying his first snap in blue and white anywhere from five to 12 weeks. It was a crushing blow for Colts fans everywhere, but there may now be a new glimmer of hope that just so happens to be an old glimmer of hope:
Philip Rivers.
On Tuesday, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Time published a brief feature on Rivers, who, following his retirement earlier this year has been living the dad life and coaching football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama. According to Farmer, Rivers is having “a blast” as the ol’ ball coach, but when asked about an NFL return, he didn’t shut down the possibility. Just the opposite in fact.
“I’m getting back there. I wouldn’t have made weight if I had to report last week, that’s for sure,” he told Farmer. “But I am getting back into the lifting and running, and shoot, I occasionally throw a ball around out here in this heat. It’s not too hard to get a good lather going.”
“I’m just going to stay ready. I want to make sure I’m very clear: I’m not predicting I will play in December or January, for that matter. One, you’ve got to have somebody who wants you, and two, it’s got to be right. But I have not completely ruled that out.”
You may remember that Rivers—who, at 39, is a full five years younger than reigning Super Bowl champ Tom Brady—spent the 2020 season with the Colts, finishing 11-5 while throwing for over 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Some of us his other stat lines were, uh, less flattering, but it’s proof that Phil the Thrill can still sling it, and, from the sounds of things, still wants to. But if not, we hear there’s this fella named Andrew Luck who might be looking for work ...