How Many NFL QBs Played While They Were Grandfathers?

After a lot of reports and headlines about Philip Rivers trying out for the Indianapolis Colts today, he has officially joined the team’s practice squad. If Rivers can still sling the football like he used to, he should make some headway and make a case for the starting job. It would, however, be his first time back in the NFL since 2020.

And if you didn’t know, back in late 2024, Rivers became a grandfather when his daughter Halle gave birth to a son. Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, have 10 children together. His grandchild marks the third generation in his family.

However, Rivers still isn’t the first grandfather to play in the NFL. That’s right, he would be the second. But behind who, you ask?

The only other known player to ever play as a grandpa was Brett Favre. It happened during the final season of his career in 2010. His daughter, Brittany, gave birth to a son named Parker Brett.

When Favre became a grandpa late in his NFL career, he stated that it made him feel “old.” However, it didn’t affect his plans to play for the Minnesota Vikings at the time. Instead, he made history by becoming the only active QB to ever have a grandchild. 

That said, we don’t know if Rivers will get a chance to play in a game this season. So, for now, Favre remains the only grandpa to play in the NFL. But with the way the Colts’ season is going, we could very well see Old Man Rivers in action sooner rather than later.

The Colts went all in at the trade deadline, parting with multiple draft picks to acquire Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets. This signified that they were making a Super Bowl push and gearing up for the playoffs. But since then, things have gone awry.

Indianapolis is 1-3 since the deadline, and Daniel Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Sunday. It’s a devastating blow for both the QB and the team. To make matters worse, Anthony Richardson is already on IR with an eye injury.

Backup QB Riley Leonard came in on Sunday as an emergency playmaker. But as a 6th-round draft pick, there aren’t high expectations for his potential output. That’s why the Colts are trying out Rivers to see if he still has something left in the tank.

All in all, we hardly ever get to see grandfathers in the NFL. But the circumstances are dire for Indy, and they could use any help they can get. Even if that means summoning a QB who hasn’t played in half a decade, it’s do-or-die for the Colts.