SEATTLE — From the way Shane Steichen and Philip Rivers are talking, it does not sound like there is much question about who the starting quarterback will be when the Colts take the field on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” against the 49ers.

Rivers was clearly limited in Sunday’s 18-16 loss to the Seahawks, completing 18 of 27 passes for just 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

But the Colts liked the way he managed the game, avoided turnovers and gave Indianapolis a chance to win at the end, although the kickoff unit and the defense weren’t able to hold the lead.

“Very encouraged,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “There’s no question about it. For him to go out there and do what he did after five years off, to have a chance to win it and get a game-winning field goal, close to it, obviously, with 40 seconds left, in a hostile environment, against a tough defense just shows his commitment to coming back.”

Indianapolis decided to roll the dice on a 44-year-old Rivers instead of sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard for several reasons.

Rivers’ experience, knowledge of the offense, ability to get the Colts into the right plays and encyclopedic knowledge of what defenses are trying to do gave him the edge over Leonard’s age and athleticism.

Leonard completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in relief of Daniel Jones last week in Jacksonville, but Leonard is dealing with a reported PCL sprain in his right knee, although he was able to practice in full all week long.

The Colts wanted to see if Rivers could handle the rigors of an NFL game.

From what they saw on Sunday, it looks like the 44-year-old can handle it, even being hit after five years away from the NFL.

“I never minded that part of it,” Rivers said. “My wife always tells me I’m crazy because there’s been times in the last three or four years I said I wish I could just throw one and get hit hard. She says, that’s not normal. … The one where the ball was snapped didn’t feel great, but the other ones kind of got me going in the game.”

Rivers acknowledged that the offense wasn’t very explosive on Sunday.

But he also talked like a quarterback who expects to start next week.

“It’s going to continue to get better,” Rivers said. “This is obviously the first one, we’re talking about three days of practice.”

Rivers wasn’t entirely happy with his performance.

Or the offense’s. Indianapolis scored 13 points in the first half, but the Colts were held scoreless in the second half until Blake Grupe’s go-ahead field goal with 47 seconds left, giving Indianapolis a one-point lead that Seattle erased in 25 seconds.

“I’m speaking offensively,” Rivers said. “If I can stay healthy — like, I feel good — it’s gonna get better as we go, but the catch in that is we gotta win. Doesn’t really matter if it’s getting better as we go, we gotta win, or it’s going to be over in three weeks. That’s the catch.”

Rivers was already talking like a quarterback thinking about ways the offense can be better.

The 44-year-old came back to the Colts in a Hail Mary attempt to get Indianapolis into the playoffs. He wants to see it through.

“Certainly going to quickly turn my attention to the 49ers,” Rivers said. “I know they have a Monday night game (at Lucas Oil Stadium). I never got to experience that, either, in that COVID year. And we’re going to scratch and fight and claw. I do know that. Not because I’m here. But I do know that any team I’ve ever been a part of, not because of me, but I’ve been a part of, will fight like crazy until they tell us the season is over. So you can guarantee that for the next three weeks.”

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter