Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts sign Philip Rivers to active roster for Sunday’s game
The Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers from their practice squad to their 53-man active roster on Saturday, clearing the way for the 44-year-old coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team to start their NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly five years after his most recent NFL appearance, the former Athens High School star and eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback answered the Colts’ distress call this week and, after three practices with the team, will be eligible to lead Indianapolis against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense on Sunday. NFL Network and ESPN reported the Colts would have Rivers in their starting lineup.
Rivers’ comeback began by signing with the Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday. Each NFL team has a 16-player practice squad. Its members do everything that the members of the 53-man active roster do except play in games.
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On Saturday, the Colts announced they had signed Rivers to their active roster. Indianapolis had an open spot for the quarterback after it placed former Auburn All-American Braden Smith on injured reserve. The Colts’ right offensive tackle came out of the previous game with a concussion and a neck injury, and he was not able to practice this week.
At his Friday press conference, Colts coach Shane Steichen declined to name a starting quarterback, saying the coaching staff would work toward that decision now that Rivers had completed his preparation on the practice field for Sunday’s game.
During the week, Rivers took snaps with Indianapolis’ first-team offense, as did former Fairhope High School star Riley Leonard.
“He’s got great command in the huddle,” Steichen said of Rivers’ practices. “He was throwing it well. So, yeah, we’re excited for it. I mean, he’s fired up for the challenge, obviously, getting back into it, getting back into the fold. Feeling the pass rush, got some good work in that, just moving around seeing the defense. It was good. …
“I mean, a guy that hasn’t been out there in five years, to go out and practice the way he did this week was pretty impressive to watch.”
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The Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles-tendon injury in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game with Leonard at quarterback. The sixth-round rookie completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and ran two times for 5 yards and one touchdown.
In reaction to Jones’ injury, and with backup quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone, Indianapolis stunned the football world by signing Rivers, who made the most recent of his 256 NFL appearances at quarterback on Jan. 9, 2021.
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Rivers is among the five players in NFL history with at least 60,000 passing yards, 400 touchdown passes and a passing-efficiency rating of 95 or higher, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
Rivers also is among the modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. By joining the Indianapolis active roster, Rivers is no longer eligible for consideration. Because players must be inactive for five complete seasons before enshrinement, Rivers won’t be eligible for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until the Class of 2031, if he doesn’t play beyond this season.
Five players have thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game after turning 44 years old – Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinnie Testaverde.
The Colts and Seahawks square off at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The weather forecast calls for a rainy game.
ICYMI: Top 5 IndyStar business stories in May 2026
A busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reignited debates about hotels and the downtown heliport. Plus, Eli Lilly celebrated 150 years.
May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.
There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.
Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.
Openings
Monkee’s
8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March
Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.
The Nest Play Cafe
515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May
The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.
Forget Me Not Piercing Studio
5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27
A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.
Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square
1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May
Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closures
Vitality IV Bar
6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com
An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.
Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.
See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr
Elizabeth Gabriel, Mirror Indy
(MIRROR INDY) — The Garfield Park Conservatory will host multiple family-friendly events throughout June. The events include plant shows, kid’s story time and Dollar Menu Night, which allows residents to harvest and eat veggies from a community garden.
Events at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Drive, range in price and some require advance registration.
The Indianapolis Bonsai Club will have displays and answer questions about a variety of bonsai. Vendors will have items for purchase.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6, 1-5 p.m. June 7
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Preschoolers ages 2-5 can participate in nature-themed storytime and crafts.
🗓️ 10-11 a.m. June 9
🎟️ $6 per child
Residents of all ages can harvest and eat veggies from Blakes’ Garden. Advance registration is preferred.
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. June 10
🎟️ $1 per person
Focused on ages 2-8, participants will listen to a nature-themed story and explore Blakes’ Garden. Attendees will relocate to a classroom if there’s inclement weather.
🗓️ 10 a.m. June 12
🎟️ Free
Up to 15 neighbors ages 10 and up will learn to ferment kimchi. Registration is required.
🗓️ 1-2 p.m. June 13
🎟️ $15 per person
Kids ages 2-5 can plant and harvest crops in the Children’s Garden. Registration is required.
🗓️ 11 a.m. to noon June 24
🎟️ $6 per child
The Indiana Insectivores will display tropical and native Indiana predator plants. Plants will also be available for purchase. Those who attend the plant show will also have free entry to the Predatory Plants Presentation 1-2 p.m. June 27.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, 1-5 p.m. June 28
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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