While some of us might have fond memories of watching Philip Rivers tear up NFL defenses, his younger kids do not.
But that might change on Sunday.
According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Rivers, 44, will start for the Indianapolis Colts against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, December 13 — his first game since the 2021 playoffs.
When Rivers retired in 2021, he and his wife, Tiffany, had nine kids together, two of whom were under 5 at the time.
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Since his retirement, they’ve added one more to the family.
“I think my younger children are excited because they don’t remember dad playing,” Rivers said to the media after he was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday, December 10.
The team brought in the eight-time Pro Bowler after Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury during the team’s Week 14 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Backup quarterback Riley Leonard is also dealing with an injury, so the Colts gave Rivers a call.
Rivers originally came into the league in the 2004 draft, and spent most of his career with the San Diego Chargers (and stayed with the team after they moved to Los Angeles in 2017), before finishing his career with the Colts in 2021.
Rivers added that even his older kids are excited to see him return to the field. His oldest, Halle, welcomed a son of her own in 2024, making Philip and Tiffany grandparents.
“My older girls are really excited,” Rivers said. “Now all of a sudden they’re grown adults and married and they remember being 16 years old going to the ballgames.”
He shared that his entire family was very supportive of his decision to make a comeback, but admitted that Tiffany is “a little scared, a little nervous, all of the above.” But, ultimately, excited.
“My wife’s been my biggest fan the whole time I’ve played. She’s nervous about the physical aspect of it, as you would expect any wife to be,” he said. “They’ve been very supportive.”
Rivers’ return presents a unique case for his Hall of Fame eligibility.
He’s currently a semifinalist to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2026, but since players have to be retired for at least five years to be eligible to join the Hall, Rivers now won’t be eligible until 2031.
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For Rivers, he said that’s not something that was going to stop him from making a comeback.
“It’s a real honor to be mentioned with those other 25 guys, certainly, but I’m not holding my breath on that,” Rivers said. “I hadn’t been counting down the years. If one day I can be a part of that group, it’ll be special. But the extension of that time, if it comes to be, was not a factor in my thinking.”
He continued: “It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours, but each moment that goes by, I feel more and more confident.”
Rivers and the Colts visit the Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.