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Philip Rivers knew what he was signing up for when he joined the Indianapolis Colts last week.
A semifinalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, Rivers’ eligibility was pushed back another five years after becoming an active player again. He will now be eligible to join Canton in 2031.
Rivers, 44, played his first game in nearly five years last week and nearly came away with a win over the Seattle Seahawks.
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Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins pose after the game at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” if he ever considered a comeback, but the career journeyman who played for nine teams joked that he didn’t want to push back his Canton eligibility.
“I’ve been thinking because I have one more year before my health insurance runs out,” Fitzpatrick said. “So I’ve thought about it. It was a big deal for Philip, as we’ve seen with the 10 kids.
“But for me, it just came down to: Do I want to reset the clock on my Hall of Fame eligibility? And I think the answer is no, you know? I think next year, we’ll see what happens there, and maybe after I’m not inducted into the Hall of Fame first ballot, I’ll think about it.”
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
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Rivers actually got another five years of health insurance from the league — it expires five years after a player’s retirement.
Rivers was emotional after his first game back, which ended in a walk-off field goal loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
“Maybe it will inspire or learn not to run or be afraid of what may or may not happen,” Rivers said after the loss about what his return could mean for those watching. “Hopefully I think about my sons and the ball players that I’m in charge of at school and they’ll say, ‘Crap, coach wasn’t scared.’
“There’s doubt, and it’s real. The guaranteed safe bet is go home or don’t do it, and the other one is, ‘Shoot, let’s see what happens.’ I hope in that sense that it can be positive for some young lads or young people.”
Philip Rivers of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on December 14, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Rivers was 18-of-27 for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception with a 73.1 passer rating in his return. He will likely get the nod against the San Francisco 49ers in a Monday night home game.
