All football fans were glued to their screens on Sunday as they watched 44-year-old Philip Rivers make his return to the NFL. He performed admirably, completing 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. However, the Indianapolis Colts ended up losing the game, 18-16.
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Leading up to the contest, many wondered why Rivers, a Hall of Fame semifinalist this past year, would return to the NFL. After all, it had been five years since he last played a game. Back then, people were wearing masks and there were not even fans in the stands.
Well, Hall of Famer Cris Carter believes that there was more to Rivers’ return than meets the eye.
“Philip Rivers’ wife, she done gave that man 10 kids. They’ve got 10 kids,” Carter began on Fully Loaded. “You might not know this, but the NFL insurance after you are a player, it runs out after 5 years. Philip Rivers’ wife was like, ‘Listen, bro, the NFL insurance ran out. That’s good f**king insurance! That’s great insurance… I need you to go back out there, bro.’ He’s a grandfather, too!”
This was a major talking point leading up to the game as well. According to the current NFLPA and CBA agreement, active players get full health, vision, and dental insurance coverage, which extends to immediate family. This coverage also extends 5 years past when players retire.
Being that they’re still under 25, it’s likely that all 10 of Rivers’ kids still use his insurance. Why wouldn’t they if it’s free? Insurance for that many people could cost around $5k a month. But now that he’s logged a game played in 2025, his insurance timer will now reset through 2030.
Aside from all of these tidbits, Carter was super impressed with Rivers’ performance on Sunday.
“That was a gutsy performance because I see young players in the pocket every week with trepidation,” Carter pointed out. “And here we are, we got, literally, an old man sitting there trying to lead his team. To me, that’s about leadership and sports character. And he took the chance to look awful. I respect that.”
Carter knows exactly what it’s like to give it a go in the NFL at an old age, too. In 2001, he initially retired with the Minnesota Vikings before unretiring and joining the Miami Dolphins. It wasn’t a 5 year absence from the game like Rivers, but he still knows what it’s like to be the old guy trying to keep up with younger players.
When Carter recalled his own unretirement, he thought back on how tough it was.
“Man, those first couple of practices, my legs were like spaghetti,” Carter joked. “Philip Rivers, I feel for it. [For me], I was only 6 months out of the game.”
Carter actually ended up starting in a game for the Dolphins that season. But he fumbled the ball in said game in “unacceptable” fashion, and they ended up losing to the Green Bay Packers. After that, he sat out for the next four games before catching just 5 more passes in the four games to end the campaign.
All in all, Rivers’ return on Sunday was important for many reasons. Firstly, it showed that the Colts were willing to do whatever it takes to salvage this season. Secondly, it showed that the current state of young QBs is so bad around the NFL that a 44-year-old who’s five years into retirement could show up and play decent. Lastly, it showed that Rivers still has the mental aspect of the game down to a tee.
And yes, there may have been an insurance angle involved in the decision. That, however, is something only Rivers can truly answer.
