Philip Rivers is back in the NFL after five years in retirement, which means the veteran quarterback has a new EA Madden rating.
EA revealed on Thursday that the Indianapolis Colts quarterback will have a 70 overall rating in Madden NFL 26. He’ll have an 83 throw power, 86 short throw accuracy and 59 speed.
All things considered, 70 overall isn’t too bad a rating for Rivers. After all, he hasn’t played in an NFL game since January of 2021.
Rivers spent the first 16 years of his career with the Chargers, but played the 2020 season with the Colts, throwing for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The 2020 season initially marked the end of Rivers’ career, but now he could be back under center for Indianapolis.
The Colts’ quarterback room has been ravaged by injuries. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles on Sunday. Head coach Shane Steichen announced Monday that rookie Riley Leonard is dealing with a knee injury and his status is unclear for this week. With Anthony Richardson still on the injured reserve due to an orbital fracture, Indianapolis signed Rivers to its practice squad.
While the signing shocked many, considering Rivers is 44 years old, it appears he’s still in football shape. One person close to him told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini that the veteran quarterback is in better shape now than when he played.
He’s also kept up with the Colts’ playbook. CBS’s JJ Watt noted that in a production meeting, he was told that Rivers has been running Indianapolis’ playbook while coaching his son’s high school team. Watt also noted that Steichen and Rivers talk weekly about plays and even film.
It’s still unclear whether Rivers will be under center this week, but it seems he’ll be prepared if he’s called upon. A good performance could end up giving his Madden rating a boost.