Indianapolis, IN
Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL, by the numbers
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers throws against the Las Vegas Raiders during a game at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 13, 2020 in Las Vegas. Rivers, now 44 years old, has signed a practice contract with the Colts in hopes of returning to the NFL for the first time since 2021.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
In July, former quarterback Philip Rivers was asked if he could still play an NFL game, during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“Oh yeah. I’m a little heavier than I was, but I could get through a game,” Rivers replied, adding with a laugh. “Now, I may need a wheelchair the next morning.”
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But now the sports world is absorbing the news that Rivers, a grandfather at age 44, has signed a practice contract with the Indianapolis Colts. The team recently lost its starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, for the rest of the season, due to injury, endangering its playoff hopes.
Here are some key numbers that provide some context into Rivers’ return:
21: Years since Rivers’ first season.
“I mean, that’s pretty ridiculous to think,” says Seth Wickersham, a senior writer at ESPN. But Wickersham also says the idea of Rivers returning isn’t as wild as it sounds.
Rivers doesn’t have the speed of younger athletes, but that was never part of his game. But what Rivers does have, Wickersham says, is a very particular set of skills.
“Against, you know, all logic, sanity and reason, the NFL has kind of become an old man’s game for quarterbacks.”
For one thing, veterans like Rivers have proven they can quickly understand game situations. And today’s quarterbacks don’t get hit as much, if they stay in the pocket rather than scramble around. This season, similar circumstances allowed another 40-something quarterback, Joe Flacco, to return to the NFL to help the Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrow was injured.
10: Children in Philip and Tiffany Rivers’ family. On Wednesday, Rivers said they’re thrilled, nervous and a bit surprised about the idea of him playing in the NFL again.
“My 6-year-old actually asked me like 4 months ago, like, ‘Dad, why don’t you play anymore?’ ” Rivers said in a news conference. “And I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m sorry. The best you’re gonna get is me coaching on the sideline.’ “
8: Pro Bowl appearances for Rivers, who maintained elite stats while spending most of his career with the Chargers, from 2004 until 2019. (The team moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 2017.)
5: Years of a waiting before a Hall of Fame induction. With his strong résumé, Rivers “was always going to get in on what’s called the first ballot, which is the first year that he’s eligible,” Wickersham says. If Rivers joins the active roster, his Hall of Fame candidacy would reset.
0: Number of playoff appearances by the Colts since Rivers spent the 2020 season with the team following the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck. Indianapolis reached the playoffs with Rivers, but lost to the Buffalo Bills in January 2021.
240: Consecutive regular season starts by Rivers, the second most for any quarterback. It’s a sign of both stamina and smarts, Wickersham says: “You don’t play football for that many games in a row if you’re getting hit all the time.”
14: Current Colts players that Rivers says were on the team when he was last there.
“The teammates that I was able to play with, shoot, 14 of them are still here,” he said on Wednesday. “Training room is the same. PR guys are the same. Equipment room is the same. They wanted me. I try to keep it as simple as that.”
32: Number of NFL starting quarterbacks. And during his career, not many of them could do what Rivers did — and might still do.
“There’s 16,000 starting quarterbacks in high school every year. There’s 858 in college at the highest level,” Wickersham says. “There’s 32 starters in the NFL. There’s 10 good ones and there’s three great ones, give or take, in a year.”
“There are very few guys like Philip Rivers,” he adds. “So if anyone can come off of the street and deliver a couple of wins and help this team make the playoffs, he’s one of the few guys that could do it.”
2: The number of Indianapolis star athletes who have torn their Achilles tendons this year, at key moments. First there was the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, knocked out of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Months later, the Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones — who had already been “playing through” a broken fibula.
“It’s just another stinging moment for Indianapolis sports,” says Samantha Horton, of member station WFYI.
For the city’s fans, she says, “I think some of them are just hopeful that … a dream of even seeing the playoffs can remain alive this year.”
For the Colts, that dream might depend on what Rivers can still do.
“It’s been heartbreaking for this to happen to Indy fans especially after the Pacers’ run,” Colts fan Grace Branson says. “The Colts were off to a great and hopeful start. I’m glad that Rivers is familiar with this offense so it gives me some hope and confidence for the rest of the season.”
WFYI’s Samantha Horton contributed to this story.
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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