Is Philip Rivers beginning right now?

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Philip Rivers is predicted to take the sector for the primary time in almost 5 years as an NFL quarterback on Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts, at 44 years of age.

Regardless of being getting ready to Corridor of Fame eligibility, Rivers accepted the Colts' provide to get again within the sport after the staff's Week-1 beginning quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending harm.

For Rivers, it is simply one other surprising twist in one of many NFL's extra uncommon tales.

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Rivers is the son of a highschool soccer coach, and took up that mantle himself after his short-term NFL retirement Rivers is the son of Steve Rivers, the previous head soccer coach at Decatur Excessive Faculty and later at Athens Excessive Faculty in Alabama. His mom was a instructor.

As a toddler, Philip contributed to his dad's staff as a ball boy, however that is not all he did. In line with The Los Angeles Instances, throughout video games the younger Rivers would sneak into the referees' huddle any time his dad's offense was near a primary down. There, he would observe how shut the ball was to a primary down, then maintain his palms aside towards the sideline to sign precisely how far they needed to go to maneuver the chains.

Colts quarterback Philip Rivers drops again to go Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, throughout apply in Indianapolis. (Imagn)

"I felt like I might contribute," Rivers instructed the outlet. "I felt like they actually wanted me to inform them if it was a foot or two toes."

When the time got here for him to start out his personal highschool profession, Rivers performed for his father at Athens Excessive Faculty. Nevertheless, he began his profession as a linebacker, and did not even begin enjoying quarterback till his junior yr.

NFL LEGEND WHO PLAYED INTO HIS MID-40S 'ALARMED' BY PHILIP RIVERS’ RETURN, GIVES QB ADVICE

However when Rivers did turn out to be a quarterback, it labored out for him and his father, as he earned all-state honors and a popularity as the most effective prep passer within the state of Alabama. It set him up for a school profession at North Carolina State, and eventual NFL stardom.

When Rivers first retired from the NFL after the 2020 season, he adopted in his father's footsteps by taking on as head coach at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama, in 2021. He is gone 43-15 at St. Michael Catholic in his 5 years on the helm, and most just lately lead the college to a 13-1 file in 2025.

Rivers is the daddy of 10 kids, and a few of his new teammates are youthful than his personal children Rivers and his spouse Tiffany Rivers have been collectively since center college and acquired married when Philip was only a sophomore in faculty in 2001.

Lower than one yr later, they'd their first baby, a daughter named Halle in 2002. The pinnacle begin on household constructing allowed the couple ample time to construct a close to soccer rosters' value of youngsters, as they went on to have 9 extra kids collectively: Caroline, Grace, Gunner, Sarah, Peter, Rebecca, Clare, Anna, and their youngest, Andrew, who was born in 2023.

And only one yr after Andrew was born, Rivers grew to become a grandfather when Halle had her personal baby in 2024.

And having a large roster of youngsters wasn't even distinctive for Rivers' household. It was anticipated.

Each Rivers and his spouse are one in every of 9 kids born to every of their very own dad and mom.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers on the sideline throughout the sport in opposition to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Dec. 6, 2020. (Troy Taormina/USA At the moment Sports activities)

Again in 2019, earlier than Anna's start, which gave the couple 9 kids, Tiffany instructed Girls's Put on Day by day of Philip's grandfather's response to information that they might be having their ninth.

"That is the third technology in Phillip’s household, who has seven women and two boys so we have been fairly enthusiastic about that. After we instructed his 91-year-old grandfather, he mentioned, ‘You didn’t need to go to the physician to seek out that out. I might have instructed you — that’s household historical past.’"

In the meantime, Halle, at 23 years of age, is older than a handful of Rivers' new teammates with the 2025 Colts, together with together with rookie quarterback Riley Leonard, rookie defensive finish JT Tuimoloau, and rookie working again DJ Giddens.

Rivers' physique has already endured uncommon adversity earlier than making his unusually late return to soccer at age 44 Rivers as soon as famously performed via an harm that often retains gamers off the sector for greater than a yr.

Within the 2007 AFC Championship sport, in opposition to the traditionally dominant undefeated New England Patriots, Rivers performed simply six days after struggling a torn ACL and meniscus in his proper knee.

Rivers limped his means via the sport for the San Diego Chargers, as his staff solely misplaced 9 factors in a 21-12 battle.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers earlier than enjoying in opposition to the Buffalo Payments within the AFC wild-card sport at Payments Stadium on Jan. 9, 2021. (Wealthy Barnes/USA At the moment Sports activities)

He underwent surgical procedure after the sport and made his return to the staff in time for the beginning of the 2008 season.

By enjoying via that harm, Rivers maintained a historic streak of 224 consecutive regular-season begins from 2006 to 2020, making him the fifth-longest beginning streak by any NFL participant. He grew to become the fourth NFL quarterback to succeed in 200 consecutive begins, becoming a member of Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports activities reporter for Fox Information Digital masking important political and cultural points in sports activities, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal authorities actions associated to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media shops together with The New York Instances, The Los Angeles Instances, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Related Press and ESPN.com.