‘It’s Hard To Imagine Him Being Physically Fit’: Jason Kelce On Philip Rivers’ NFL Return

Philip Rivers officially signed with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad yesterday. At 44, and already a grandparent, he’s one of the oldest players we’ve seen come out of retirement. It has naturally raised questions about whether he still has the physical ability to play in the NFL, or if one big hit will turn him into smithereens. 

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce recently voiced the same concern. As a 38-year-old who retired two years ago because he was physically hurting after every game, Kelce knows the toll the sport takes.

That’s why, when Kelce assessed Rivers’ return, he simply noted that it couldn’t be something he himself would attempt.

“It’s hard to imagine a guy that hasn’t played football in five years, is 44, is still going to be able to physically do it,” Kelce said on New Heights (time stamp: 30:19). “But I’m not doubting Philip Rivers. I’m just not going to do it.”

That’s a valid point. Kelce was an offensive lineman, absorbing hits in the trenches every week, so he wouldn’t want to make a comeback. Despite this, he’s pleased with the QB’s comeback, because Rivers is highly regarded by almost every big name in the NFL.

“Shane Steichen, from when he was in Philadelphia, Frank Reich, Nick Sirianni, knowing all of these people that were with Philip at some point in his career. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of coaches speak higher of another player. They look up to this guy like he is in a realm of his own,” Kelce shared. 

In his prime, Rivers was an excellent quarterback whose main calling cards were durability and toughness. From 2006 to 2020, he started in 240 straight games. By the end of his career, he was top 7 all-time in passing yards and TDs. 

In fact, Rivers was actually a semifinalist for this year’s Hall of Fame vote. But as the Kelce brothers mentioned, now that he’s unretiring, his candidacy will be reset 

Regardless, as a fan, Jason can’t wait to see Rivers sling the ball again.

“As a fan, I cannot wait to watch a grandpa go out there and sling this f***ing thing. I hope he is starting this week. I want to see it so bad.”

As of right now, no announcement has been made on whether Rivers will start on Sunday. It would be a quick turnaround, going from a high school coach to being thrown into an NFL game in less than a week. But he is on the practice squad, and if Riley Leonard can’t play this week, putting Rivers in seems like the only option.

If we do see the veteran QB on Sunday, every football fan will be glued to their screens. Most fans had forgotten about Old Man Rivers and moved on with their football lives. Now, we may get to see him play for the first time since the COVID season.