The Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad on Wednesday. Now the question is: Will one of the greatest passers of his generation be ready to play this Sunday in Seattle, just four days after signing and nearly five years after taking his last NFL snap?

That might be exactly what the Colts, who would need to elevate the QB from their practice squad, ask him to do. Presumed starter Riley Leonard is currently nursing a knee injury, putting the sixth-round rookie’s availability for the Seahawks game in jeopardy. Colts coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Leonard will practice this week, and his health will help determine the team’s plans at quarterback for the weekend.

Meanwhile, Steichen didn’t close the door on the possibility of Rivers starting but said the team needs to get Rivers “back into football shape.” Rivers admitted Wednesday he’s carrying a little more weight than he did in his playing days, but, “I ain’t ever run away from anybody anyway.”

“His energy and passion for the game are incredible,” said Steichen, whose close relationship with Rivers played a major role in bringing the quarterback back to the Indianapolis. “He’s one of the smartest football guys I’ve ever met.”

#Colts HC Shane Steichen describes how signing Philip Rivers came to be. Fascinating stuff. He has full confidence Rivers can play at a high level.

My interpretation— if practice goes well this week, Rivers will play on Sunday regardless of Riley Leonard’s health. @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/qvEjJbKDVM

— Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) December 10, 2025

If Rivers does end up playing for the Colts, be it this Sunday or sometime in the future, he will be relying heavily on his intimate knowledge of Steichen’s offense. Steichen and Rivers, of course, each spent a lot of time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. Rivers is a Chargers legend, earning eight Pro Bowl nods as a member of the team while owning the franchise marks in passing yards and touchdowns. He even signed a one-day contract with the team this July so he could officially retire as a member of the Chargers.

Steichen, meanwhile, was a Chargers defensive assistant from 2011-2012, their offensive quality control coach from 2014-2015, quarterbacks coach from 2016-2019 and their interim offensive coordinator in 2019, spending eight total years with Rivers. The two have remained close friends ever since, typically talking on the phone once a week.

Future Hall of Famer and CBS Sports broadcaster J.J. Watt even reported that Rivers, who has coached the football team at St. Michael Catholic High School (Alabama) since 2021, runs a version of Steichen’s offense.

“At first, I mean, I did think it was kind of funny,” Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. admitted Wednesday about the Colts signing Rivers. “But then I really sat there and thought about it, and I was like, ‘You know what? Philip really invented this offense.”

My impression is that #Colts QB Philip Rivers will be playing sooner rather than later. Even as soon as this Sunday against the #Seahawks. HC Shane Steichen was very bullish on Rivers.

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) December 10, 2025

Whether it’s Rivers, Leonard or Brett Rypien, the NFL journeyman whom the team promoted to the active roster Tuesday, the Colts need someone to help salvage their season. After starting the year 7-1, the Colts have plummeted to 8-5 and are currently outside the AFC playoff picture.

Meanwhile, the quarterback who led them to such a hot start, Daniel Jones, is out for the year after he tore his Achilles in last Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recently underwent surgery to repair the tear, Steichen confirmed Wednesday, and said it went well. Backup QB Anthony Richardson is also on injured reserve after suffering an orbital fracture during a pregame warmup accident in Week 6.

So, for the Colts to return to the playoffs, they might need the man who last led them there. Rivers was running the show in Indianapolis in 2020, the last time the Colts made the postseason. And despite his years away from the game, Rivers believes he can help lead them there again. At the very least, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try.

“It’s a coach that I love, an organization that I enjoyed being with. … The teammates I was able to play with, shoot, 14 of them are still here. … And they wanted me. I tried to keep it as simple as that,” an emotional Rivers said Wednesday. “The game I love to play, the game I thought I was done playing, certainly. I wasn’t really hanging on to any hope of playing again. I kind of thought that ship had sailed. But something about it excited me. It’s kind of one of those deals where the door opens, and you either walk through it and find out if you can do it, or you run from it. I know there’s risk involved, obviously, with what may or may not happen. But the only way to find out is to go for it. I just felt like almost like it was a gift, another opportunity to play, and cut it loose with the guys and the game you love to play.

“It’s the dream you got to live. And (now) you may get some bonus time.”

Just like he did in 2020, Rivers will wear No. 17 for the Colts. Jones had worn that number this year for Indianapolis, but after the team placed him on IR, it technically became available again. Still, Rivers said he reached out to Jones to get his approval to wear the number.

In other Colts news, the team placed cornerback Charvarius Ward on injured reserve after he suffered his third concussion of the season. Fellow starting cornerback Sauce Gardner remains out with a calf injury.

This story will be updated.