With the season-ending injury to Daniel Jones, the Indianapolis Colts are doing the unthinkable and bringing back Philip Rivers to play quarterback after retiring in 2020.

Rivers built up what could be a Hall of Fame career with the Chargers and sits in the Top 10 all time in both passing yards and touchdowns. He retired in 2020 after one year with the Indianapolis Colts. But now at 44, the Colts have brought him back to lead the team in a playoff chase after five years out of the game. And the most widespread reaction to the news has been disbelief.

On Friday’s episode of First Take, Ryan Clark blasted the Colts franchise for what he saw as an “incompetent” and “irresponsible” decision to sign Philip Rivers.

Ryan Clark on the Colts potentially starting Phillip Rivers: “… I believe this is incompetent. And I also believe it is irresponsible. This is not Michael Jordan coming back to play basketball after three years off for the Washington Wizards. This is a man in Phillip Rivers who… pic.twitter.com/rRhJtUhT8Z

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 12, 2025

“I believe this is incompetent,” Clark said. “And I also believe it is irresponsible. This is not Michael Jordan coming back to play basketball after three years off for the Washington Wizards. This is a man in Philip Rivers who was always a stationary target taking five years off to coach high school football and then coming back to play against the Seattle Seahawks, who would get after your keester if you were freaking Michael Vick.”

After vouching for current Colts quarterback Riley Leonard, Clark said that it is a bad decision from the franchise to bring Rivers back after so much time on the sidelines. And even if Rivers proves Clark wrong, it won’t change his mind on it being a bad idea.

“I don’t give a care how much you hand it to Jonathan Taylor. I don’t care how great you think your defense can play. Philip Rivers should not be starting this game. And if he comes out and he plays well and he stays healthy I’m not going to retract this statement. Because it is a bad decision to put him out there. Don’t get me wrong, somebody calls me after five years and says you can play, I might go try to give them a play too. Philip ain’t wrong. Shane Steichen and the Colts are,” Clark declared.

Those are strong comments from Ryan Clark, but it’s hard to argue with the sentiment.  Rivers was never known for his mobility even when he was in his athletic prime. How is he expected to survive an NFL pass rush, let alone lead an offense, at this point in his life? Maybe Tom Brady proved that you can play at a high level in the NFL in your mid-40s, but he didn’t do it after taking five years off from the game. Were there no other living, breathing NFL-caliber quarterbacks available who have at least taken a snap in a game since the COVID pandemic?

If it goes well, it could be the script of a real life Disney movie. But you would be hard pressed to find anyone who truly believes that is a realistic outcome.