Positive Buzz About Quarterback Philip Rivers Energizing Colts Continues

The Indianapolis Colts’ addition of 17th-year quarterback Philip Rivers keeps generating excitement about what he could do for a franchise that has missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons.

INDIANAPOLIS — Not that any Indianapolis Colts fan needs a reminder, but it's nearing the one-year anniversary of Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck’s stunning preseason retirement.

As much as the organization tried to push forward, it typically takes time for an NFL team to overcome the loss of a franchise quarterback. The Colts finished 7-9 with quarterback Jacoby Brissett and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

Enter 17th-year quarterback Philip Rivers, who is 38 but still approaches his work with the exuberance of a youngster. After 16 seasons with the Chargers, where he set numerous franchise records, Rivers is fired up about the possibility of extending his career for another year or two, maybe even three.

That depends on how he plays in 2020, when he’ll be paid $25 million. Rivers hopes to stay beyond this season. Colts head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard hope so, too.

Colts linebacker Darius Leonard and offensive left tackle Anthony Castonzo spoke during Monday Zoom video calls about how Rivers is bringing “juice” to the locker room. Leonard, an intense tackle machine known as “The Maniac,” was surprised to see a teammate with his kind of enthusiasm. Castonzo laughed about Rivers leaving his offensive linemen two-minute voice messages about his eagerness to get on that field.

Opinions might differ on whether Rivers will play at his 2018 Pro Bowl level or be the guy who threw 20 interceptions in 2019, but the national perception continues to trend toward a bounce-back season. 

He’s joining an offense with a solid line, a seventh-ranked rushing offense that added rookie running back Jonathan Taylor to join 2019 leading rusher Marlon Mack, a wide receiving group led by four-time Pro Bowl star T.Y. Hilton that added second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr., and a tight end room that includes two-time Pro Bowler Jack Doyle.

As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reminded on Thursday, this Colts offense was once set up for Luck, who was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and earned his fourth Pro Bowl honor in what turned out to be his final year in 2018.

Now factor in that Rivers has history with Reich as well as offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, who as Chargers assistants helped the passer succeed in an offense that he knows rather well. Rivers says he knew basically 80 percent of the Colts playbook when he signed in March. Much of the rest has been recognizing tweaks in terminology.

Reich and Sirianni have repeatedly spoken of how comfortable they are in being reunited with Rivers. They remind there’s nothing Rivers hasn’t seen. It has all the makings of a smooth transition.

So it’s not really that much of a stretch to see why so many expect Rivers to thrive in his new surroundings. He has credentials that will one day earn him consideration and possible enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — his 59,271 passing yards and 397 touchdown passes rank sixth in NFL history.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to this happy reunion and storybook script of a confident quarterback helping a team regain past glory is the Coronavirus pandemic. If the NFL can pull off a season amid positive COVID-19 player tests, the Colts are legitimate AFC South Division contenders — it’s hard to believe a franchise that once owned this division hasn’t won the title since 2014.

At least on paper, the Colts should be better on offense, and the defense added All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner as a cornerstone three-technique player at a position of vital importance. Leonard is jacked about the idea of Buckner occupying linemen so the linebacker can roam free to make even more impact plays. All “The Maniac” has done in two seasons is amass 244 total tackles, 12 sacks, seven interceptions, and six forced fumbles.

After a 5-2 start, Colts fans didn’t have much to cheer about last season. While nobody on the team would ever admit it, the franchise couldn’t overcome the loss of Luck so soon.

Perhaps a resurgent Rivers, that gung-ho gunslinger who sure sounds like has plenty of proverbial giddy-up in his saddle, can provide the Colts with what was missing last year.

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)