And while Rivers is a massive part of Chargers lore, he spent a year in Indianapolis, and that familiarity with the Colts – which developed even within the restrictions of the 2020 COVID season – counted for something here, too.

So those factors led Rivers, when he got the call from the Colts on Sunday night, to say: “Heck yeah, I’m interested.”

Ballard and Steichen told Rivers to sleep on it. He did, and Monday morning, he had a proposal.

“I need to get up there,” Rivers told them. “I need to get up there and throw, get in that building, start moving around.”

So Rivers, later on Monday, arrived in Indianapolis and went to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Maybe for the first time in his life, he walked into the building without having to first get a Q-tip shoved up his nose.

Rivers, then, grabbed a football and went through a workout. The Colts were pleased with how Rivers looked in that session.

“He didn’t forget how to throw a football,” Steichen said.

Rivers spent the night in a hotel, mulling over the weight of the decision he now had to make. The Colts were interested. But was he going to be all-in on ending his retirement nearly five full years after taking his last snap in the NFL?

“I wasn’t really hanging on any hope of playing again. I thought that ship had kind of sailed,” Rivers said. “But something about it excited me. It’s kind of one of those deals – the door opens and you can either walk through it and find out if you can do it, or run from it.”

Rivers considered the risks. His wife – “my biggest fan the whole time I played,” he said – was nervous about the physical aspect of strapping on a helmet and shoulder pads and facing some of the fastest, most physical and biggest humans on the planet. And of course Rivers himself questioned if this was the right thing to do.

“Who wouldn’t have doubt after five years, you know?” Rivers said.

Most players, once their playing career is over, are done. Rivers was at peace with the decision he made back in the early days of 2021, when he called then-Colts coach Frank Reich on a trail north of Indianapolis and told him he was retiring.

But, on Sunday into Monday into Tuesday morning, a shot to do the thing he loves had arisen. It was unexpected. But it was staring Rivers in the face. And, as Rivers thought more about it, he became more and more excited at the opportunity.

“Is that doubt real or not?” Rivers said. “The only way you can find out is to go.”

On Tuesday, Rivers called up Ballard and Steichen. He made his decision.

“Dadgummit,” Rivers said, “let’s freaking go.”

Where this all leads is still uncertain on Wednesday. Rivers still needs to go through a full week of practice for both he and the Colts to determine if he’s ready to play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

So, actually, the biggest story in the NFL this week – heck, maybe this season – did not conclude with a “dadgummit.” Its end is unwritten.

But dadgummit, aren’t you fascinated to see where it goes?