Let’s get something straight right away: starting Philip Rivers over former Notre Dame football QB, Riley Leonard was not a slap in the face to the rookie. It was a calculated yet very risky football decision made by a team still fighting for its postseason life.
When you strip away emotion, social media noise, and the shock factor of a 44-year-old grandfather stepping back onto an NFL field after nearly five years away, this move starts to make sense. Especially when you look at it through the reality of December football, where jobs, seasons, and legacies are on the line every single snap.
This is December football and the Colts are still in the race
The Colts didn’t plan for this. They started the season hot, injuries piled up, and suddenly they’re clinging to playoff hopes in a wide-open AFC. This isn’t September anymore. The margin for error is gone.
Riley Leonard had a good week of practice leading up to last Sunday. That matters — but what matters more is readiness under pressure. Practice reps don’t always translate to controlling an NFL offense when every drive feels like a must-have.
That’s what coaches are weighing. Not upside. Not potential. Reality.
Why Rivers got the call over the former Notre Dame star
Philip Rivers knows this system. He knows the protections, the checks, and how to manage chaos when things inevitably break down. That familiarity becomes priceless late in the season.
Rivers didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he looked comfortable. He got the offense lined up, avoided catastrophic mistakes, and gave the Colts a chance to win against one of the best defenses in football. For a quarterback who hadn’t played meaningful snaps in nearly five years, that alone explains why he got the nod.
This wasn’t nostalgia. It was about minimizing negative plays and surviving the moment.
The Colts are protecting Riley Leonard
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a young quarterback is not play him.
Leonard’s strengths are obvious: elite athleticism, toughness, leadership, and the ability to punish defenses with his legs. He’s a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who competes on every snap and limits backbreaking mistakes.
But there’s no hiding what still needs development — anticipation, consistent downfield accuracy, and winning from the pocket when defenses force him to stay there.
Now look at what’s ahead:
San Francisco.
Jacksonville.
Houston.
Those are not forgiving matchups. Those are playoff teams fighting for their own survival. Throwing a young quarterback into four straight high-pressure games, several in prime-time environments, isn’t development. That’s how confidence gets crushed.
The Colts aren’t shelving Riley Leonard. They’re protecting him.
The AFC is wide open this year
The AFC is as open as it’s been in years. Denver is playing the most complete football right now, but Pittsburgh and Buffalo have been wildly inconsistent. When they’re on, they’re dangerous. When they’re off, opportunity opens up.
The Colts see that window. And when you believe a window exists, you don’t experiment. You stabilize.
You go with the quarterback who gives you the best chance to survive the moment, not the one you hope grows into it on the fly.
Why Shane Steichen made this move
Shane Steichen is a quarterback developer. He understands timing — not just in routes, but in careers.
This decision wasn’t about giving up on Leonard. It was about honoring the work Jonathan Taylor, Daniel Jones, and that Colts defense have put in all season. Starting a rookie who isn’t ready yet would have been waving the white flag.
Going with Rivers was a risk, but it was a calculated one. Comfort over chaos. Experience over projection.
This is a great learning experience for Riley Leonard
Riley Leonard’s future is fine. Better than fine. He’ll get his opportunity again most likely in August — and when he does, he’ll be more prepared because he wasn’t thrown into a situation designed to break him.
As for Philip Rivers, the story is still being written. Maybe this ends with an incredible playoff push led by a 44-year-old grandfather. Maybe it ends with everyone laughing about a mid-life crisis experiment that ran out of gas.
Either way, by season’s end we’ll say one of two things:
Shane Steichen pushed the right buttons at the right time
or
Coach Steichen needs to explain why Grandpa was taking hits in December
Personally, I’d love to see Rivers and Rodgers meet in an AFC Championship Game. That’s the kind of chaos football was built for.
But this league has a funny way of reminding us on any given Sunday that reality is usually stranger than fiction.
And that’s why this decision, controversial as it feels, makes more sense than most people want to admit.