At 44 years old, with 10 kids and a grandchild at home with a high school playbook on his desk, Philip Rivers was supposed to be done with the NFL chapter of his life. After all, his last NFL pass came in 2020, so his body and must have presumably moved on. Even Rivers himself admitted this week that he thought that his NFL “ship had sailed.”
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And yet, in December 2025, desperation found a way of reopening doors that felt permanently shut.
When the Colts’ quarterback room collapsed after Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury, HC Shane Steichen did the unthinkable by calling a grandfather out of retirement. And what was even more shocking was that Philip Rivers picked up the phone and answered ‘Yes’.
Understandably, the entire league is still buzzing with disbelief. And perhaps no one has captured the collective reaction better than Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
“I think what’s going through everybody else’s mind — ‘Man, it’s crazy,’” Warner said on The Rich Eisen Show, when asked about the first thought that crossed his mind upon hearing Rivers’ return.
The NFL legend’s return is a clear sign that the Colts believe Philip Rivers’ football IQ and arm are still serviceable. And make no mistake, many, including Kurt Warner, subscribe to that thought. But for Kurt, his concern lives elsewhere, and it comes from personal experience.
The Hall of Famer revealed on the show that years after retiring, he once considered a similar comeback scenario when the Cardinals struggled at quarterback. He even went into his backyard, took some drops, and started throwing, asking himself the same questions Philip Rivers must be asking now.
Physically, Warner wasn’t worried then, and he isn’t concerned about Rivers now. He acknowledged Rivers has stayed close to the game, coaching and living inside an offense that mirrors what Indianapolis runs. From a pure arm-talent standpoint, Warner believes Rivers will be fine. The real worry for Kurt begins once the pads go on.
“Throwing the football, when you know how to do it, you don’t really lose it,” Warner said.
“My biggest concern… and I really had two of them… The first was just the mental speed of the game… Not being around it… and thinking that after a couple years out, I could actually step back on a football field and process anywhere close to what I was doing when I was playing,” Warner added.
That adjustment, he admitted, haunted him even in hypothetical scenarios. The second concern is one Philip Rivers knows all too well.
“The one thing I wouldn’t want to do is come back and then have something dumb happen… Like, I pull my hamstring trying to move out of the pocket because I’m an old guy trying to play,” he sheepishly admitted.
One awkward step, one mistimed movement, and the comeback turns into a cautionary tale. That’s why Kurt Warner’s hope for Rivers’ debut is modest. “I just don’t want to see this as a crash-and-burn situation,” he said.
If Philip Rivers does start this week, the test will be unforgiving because Seattle’s defense isn’t welcoming anyone back to football. Through 13 games, the Seahawks rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (91.2) and fourth in yards allowed per carry (3.8).
Safe to say, speed, pressure, and physicality will be relentless from Seattle’s defense. The question is, will Rivers be able to manage his offense and find a way out. If not, it’s going to be a long long night for Indy.
