Indianapolis, IN
Two ways to watch Colts vs. 49ers FREE STREAM today | Philip Rivers
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INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers makes his second start since coming out of retirement to lead the Indianapolis Colts against San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” today – Monday, Dec. 22 – at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This game is available on multiple streaming services for free.
What channel is Colts vs. 49ers Monday Night Football?
Today’s game will broadcast live on ABC and ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern.
Two ways to watch Colts vs. 49ers for free
- DIRECTV (free trial and $40 off your first month)
- FuboTV (free trial and $25 off your first month)
The most flexible non-free option is Sling TV, which now offers new users a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for five months and $45.99 per month thereafter
This game is also available on the ESPN app streaming service, which now offers an Unlimited Plan for $29.99 per month (or $299.99 for entire year) and the Select Plan for $12.99 per month (or $129.99 for entire year). The ESPN app replicates its previous coverage of select games and broadcasts on ESPN Plus.
Who is announcing Colts vs. 49ers?
Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst) will be the announcers while Laura Rutledge and Tom Rinaldi report from the sidelines.
What are the latest odds for Colts vs. 49ers?
Spread: IND: (+5.5), SF: (-5.5)
Moneyline: IND: (+225), SF: (-280)
Point total: 46.5
Odds from DraftKings
How to Watch COLTS – 49ERS
- What: NFL Week 16: Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers
- When: Dec. 22, 2025
- Time: 8:15p.m. Eastern
- Where: Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
- Channel: ABC and ESPN
- Best Streaming Options: DIRECTV (free trial and $40 off first month), FuboTV (free trial and $25 off first month) and Sling TV (half off first month and daily, weekend, weekly, monthly and season pass)
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV, which features a free trial and $25 off your first month if you sign up for the Pro or Elite plans, is a streaming service that offers over 200 channels. It offers sports, entertainment, news, business and more. The service also offers on-demand options, including full television shows. You may access this service on multiple devices, including computers, phones, tablets and more.
There are four plans which are Latino, Pro, Elite and Premier ranging from $32.99- $99.99.
What is DIRECTV?
DIRECTV, which offers a free trial and $40 off your first month, lets you enjoy live TV and on-demand services without a contract through multiple packages. These include the entertainment package, the choice package + sports pack, the ultimate package + sports pack. The prices range from $79.99-$109.99.
What is Sling TV?
Sling TV users can now get a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly Pass for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for the first five months and $45.99 per month thereafter. You can also subscribe to either the Blue package or the Orange package depending on your viewing preferences. Sling Blue allows up to three streams at a time and Sling Orange allows one stream at a time. Both the Blue and Orange packages are $23 for the first month, then increase to $45.99 per month thereafter.
Here is more information on this matchup from the AP:
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The last time Philip Rivers suited up inside Lucas Oil Stadium, he and his Indianapolis Colts teammates clinched a playoff spot.
A lot has changed in those five years.
Rivers left the NFL, started coaching high school football in Alabama, became a grandfather and shocked the world by coming out of retirement and nearly leading the Colts to a victory last week in Seattle.
He returned to his former team with old friend Shane Steichen calling the plays for a franchise under new ownership. And on Monday night, he’ll be playing in front of a near capacity home crowd — something he didn’t get to do during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic year.
Still, two things have not changed: Rivers remains stuck on 134 career wins and the Colts haven’t reached the playoffs since he was Indy’s starter the last time. The 44-year-old quarterback believes he can achieve both over the next three weeks or he wouldn’t be playing.
“I know the NFL is a big deal and this, and it can be whatever it can be,” Rivers said after rejoining the Colts. “But to me, it’s like ‘Hey, you get to play football, potentially, for four more weeks and maybe then some.’ And as long as I can live with the results, both good or bad, and go back home and move on, then I was willing to go for it, and I was able to get to that place mentally.”
While many around the league — from Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons — lauded Rivers’ effort to make a comeback, most were intrigued to see how Rivers would play.
Yes, he does have some physical limitations, and, yes, concerns about his mobility, his ability to throw deep and the long layoff prompted Steichen to take a safer approach in last week’s 18-16 loss at Seattle.
While Indy leaned heavily on its ground game and a short passing game to protect Rivers from taking needless hits, he still went 18 of 27 with 120 yards and threw an interception on Indy’s final offensive play.
The Colts (8-6) lost their fourth straight game to remain one spot outside the AFC’s seven-team playoff field, and Rivers acknowledged this week he must be better over the final three games to save Indy’s fading playoff hopes.
Still, the 49ers (10-4) know what they’re up against. Three years ago, when San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was looking for stability at quarterback, he reached out to Rivers. Because the need didn’t actually arise until the NFC championship game, Rivers never signed.
But after studying last week’s tape, Shanahan believes Rivers still has what it takes.
“I see a guy who knows how to play the position as good as anyone,” Shanahan said. “I think he had 27 throws in that game and every ball goes right to the exact spot. He attacked their coverages great. He played against a very good pass rush and was able to get rid of the ball. He’s one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever watched, and he definitely helped that team.”
Can Rivers get it done at his age? Only time will tell.
Indianapolis, IN
Man injured in shooting at gas station on near east side of Indianapolis; IMPD searching for suspects
INDIANAPOLIS — A man was injured in a shooting at a gas station on the near east side of Indianapolis Sunday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to a Marathon gas station located at 1453 E. Washington St. around 9:03 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located a man who appeared to have sustained injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
The man was transported from the scene to a local hospital after the shooting. IMPD reported that the man is currently in stable condition.
Police believe multiple suspects may have been involved in the shooting. Investigators also indicated that the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle after the shooting.
IMPD is working obtain security camera video from the gas station’s management team. Detectives hope that, once they have the security footage in hand, they will be able to identify the suspects or the vehicle they allegedly drove off in after the shooting.
Officers recovered multiple shell casings during their investigation of the shooting. Police also believe the shooting was targeted.
“Violence isn’t the answer,” IMPD Night Watch Captain Richard Ray said during a media briefing Sunday night. “A moment of anger can lead to a lifetime of severe consequences for both the victim and the suspect and persons involved. This not a way to resolve situations. Communication is the key, violence isn’t the key. We just need people to learn to resolve their differences amicably, and we can prevent things like these.”
IMPD confirmed that at least one person was working at the gas station when the shooting happened. Investigators also contend that the shooting happened at the gas station itself. Police do not think the shooting was a drive-by.
As of this article’s publication, no additional information on the shooting had been made available.
The NFL’s cyclical calendar hits another important checkpoint tomorrow at 4:00 PM EST, on June 1. This is a time in the calendar that bridges the gap between key periods of roster management — free agency and the draft — and the annual summer moratorium that each team has in June.
The June 1st date, however, is a designation that allows teams to manipulate their cap situations, specifically for the upcoming season. This layer enables teams to save money for the immediate season while pushing off what remains to be addressed in the following year(s), whether that be via a cut or trade.
Sports Illustrated’s Mike Kadlick broke down the importance of this date back in March:
When a player is released or traded around the start of the new league year (mid-March), their remaining prorated bonus money and guaranteed salary accelerates onto the team’s upcoming season’s cap and becomes what’s called “dead money”—a charge for a player no longer on the roster. When that same move occurs after June 1, however, teams are able to spread that dead cap-hit over two seasons instead of taking the entire hit in one year.
Mike Kadlick, On SI
As for the Indianapolis Colts, there are a handful of cut/trade candidates that they could entertain. The tricky part with the June 1st date is that each of these cut/trade candidates will likely remain as such even after the fact, as the designation in question doesn’t offer much additional cap space compared to other examples across the league.
These candidates are the most likely to be moved, though it’s not necessarily due to the June 1st checkpoint in question.
In no particular order, we break down the candidates who could be dealt, providing an analysis of their situation, a likelihood they’ll be moved, whether it’s via trade or release, and an assessment of whether such a move would be beneficial for the team.
Anthony Richardson Sr.
The Colts’ first-round pick (4th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft has been back practicing with the team after no trade materialized following the 2026 draft cycle. Despite this, Richardson and his camp have not yet rescinded the trade request, so he could still be traded at any time before the regular-season trade deadline.
Richardson’s time in Indianapolis is now set to conclude once his rookie contract runs out following the 2026-27 season. He has a $10.8 million cap hit for the upcoming season, and although that’s a pricey payday for a projected QB3, the Colts have almost no reason to release him.
The Colts would not save any money if they cut Richardson, but they would if they could find a trade partner. Indianapolis would save $5.38 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season if they traded Richardson, though that would’ve been the case if he was traded prior to June 1st.
Keeping Anthony Richardson Sr. around while he focuses on making the most of his situation does less harm than good for the Colts because of Daniel Jones’s rehab. While Jones has been an active participant in individual drills throughout OTAs thus far, having Richardson around for team reps will help the rest of the team.
It’d be best for both parties to find a trade suitor for Richardson ahead of the regular season, but even if he winds up playing out his rookie contract in Indianapolis, having Richardson in the bullpen for the same price as it’d be to cut him is the best course of action.
Grover Stewart
I’d be remiss not to immediately preface that there is almost no reality where the Colts cut longtime defensive tackle Grover Stewart, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding DeForest Buckner’s return to form as he works back from a serious neck injury, but Spotrac listed Stewart as one of the NFL’s biggest cut candidates.
I get where they’re coming from, as cutting Stewart would save $12.25 million in cap space, but the Colts are in no position to move on from one of their biggest mainstay contributors without a succession plan in place, especially this deep into the offseason.
Fourth-year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore has blossomed into a legitimate piece across the defensive front, and newcomer Colby Wooden has become the Colts’ most underrated move in the offseason, but Indianapolis would be fools to move on from Grover Stewart just to save a chunk of money.
Stewart is 33 years old as he enters the last year of his deal with the Colts, but Indianapolis should be more focused on finding a way to make him a Colt for life as opposed to deciding whether or not they should abruptly fire him just as OTAs have kicked off.
Jaylon Jones
Jaylon Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract and may ultimately serve as the Colts’ surprise training camp cut once it’s all said and done. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme proved to be ill-suited for Jones during their first season together in 2025, therefore his potential release would more so be due to a schematic disconnect.
June 1st wouldn’t affect Jones’s dead cap situation, though; therefore, his release will save the Colts $3.74 million in cap space regardless of its designation.
Jones is by no means lacking in talent, but it was evident that his playstyle isn’t something Lou Anarumo covets. Colts 2025 UDFA signing Johnathan Edwards started in five games as a rookie compared to Jones’s two starts in Anarumo’s first year, and with an even deeper cornerback room heading into 2026, Jones will have to prove himself as someone you can’t stomach cutting if he wants to make the opening-day roster.
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TONIGHT
Partly cloudy and cooler with lows dropping into the low 50s. An east northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph eases a bit overnight, and the quiet weather pattern holds with no rain concerns.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny with a pleasant late May feel and highs in the upper 70s. Winds stay light from the east southeast around 5 mph, and the day looks dry from start to finish with comfortable humidity for outdoor plans.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly cloudy and milder with lows near 60. Winds go calm for a time, and it stays quiet across central Indiana with an easy overnight setup and no meaningful weather issues.
MONDAY
Mostly sunny and a touch warmer with highs around 80. A light northeast breeze around 5 mph develops in the afternoon, and this continues to look like one of the cleanest days of the stretch for being outside.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and seasonably mild with lows in the upper 50s. Light northeast wind around 5 mph fades later in the evening, and dry weather holds through the night.
TUESDAY
Sunny and pleasant again with highs in the upper 70s. An east northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph, with a few gusts close to 20 mph, adds a little movement to the air, but the overall feel stays comfortable and quiet.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and cool with lows in the mid 50s. Winds become light and variable, and this looks like another calm overnight stretch with no weather trouble.
WEDNESDAY
Sunny and warm with highs around the upper 70s to near 80. Wind stays light, becoming east northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon, and the dry stretch continues with another solid day for outdoor plans.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and mild with lows near the upper 50s. Light and variable wind keeps the night quiet, and the settled pattern stays in place.
7 DAY FORECAST
The broader pattern stays very calm through the middle of next week, with dry weather favored and temperatures running close to average for the end of May and start of June. Highs generally hold in the upper 70s to low 80s, nights stay in the 50s, and the next better rain chance does not arrive until next Saturday. That means several straight days of usable weather across Indianapolis before the pattern turns more active again later next weekend.
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