The Indianapolis Colts released quarterback Brian Hoyer on Saturday to make room for their newest signee, Philip Rivers. Rivers officially signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Colts after contemplating hanging up the cleats for good and entering retirement.
The 38-year-old father of eight took to social media on Saturday to talk about how excited he is to be playing in Indianapolis.
Rivers said, “I think really where we settled in is I still love to play, certainly not coming off my best year (2019), but I know I can still play at a high level. It was one of those deals where we said if there’s nothing else out, then that’ll be our answer.
“I don’t want to try to just hang on to play. The fact it ended up being with this organization, it made it that much more excited to keep going.”
Hoping To Bounce Back
Rivers will be replacing Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback of the Colts, but one thing the two of them do have in common is their 2019 struggles. Rivers threw 20 picks last year in a season that could be compared to that of Jameis Winston’s, who threw only three more touchdowns than interceptions in 2019.
Rivers finished the season with 23 passing touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Rivers did pass for 4,615 yards despite the Chargers going 5-11 in 2019.
Rivers has thrown for 4,000-plus yards in 11 of his last 12 seasons, which is extremely impressive considering he hasn’t had much to work with offensively in terms of talent until recent years.
The general manager of the Colts, Chris Ballard, said, “Philip is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in the NFL, and we are fortunate to add an experienced player of his caliber to our organization. His familiarity with our coaching staff and offensive system, in addition to his experience, were attractive qualities during our evaluation process.
Philip is a fierce competitor, and his veteran leadership will be crucial in the continued development of our young roster.”
Connections
Rivers has multiple connections to the Indianapolis coaching staff. Frank Reich was Rivers’ quarterbacks coach for a season and his offensive coordinator for two. Offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni previously coached with the Chargers for five seasons and was the quarterbacks coach for two.
When asked about Reich, Rivers said, “We communicate the same way. I know what those guys are trying to get out of a play and why they are calling this. They understand how I think and how I look for things.
“There’s a good dynamic here in the way we think. I do think there’s a trust factor that was built there in our time in San Diego. I think that’s important to have that trust.”
Rivers moved his family from San Diego to Florida in late 2019, which started rumors about Rivers signing with the Buccaneers or Dolphins. The Rivers family moving cross country made it clear the 38-year-old wouldn’t be returning to the Chargers in the future.
