Philip Rivers Discusses Hall of Fame Timeline Possibly Being Delayed by Colts Contract

Philip Rivers says potentially delaying his Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility was "not a factor" in his decision to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.

Rivers, who is currently one of 26 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame's 2026 class, would no longer be eligible to join next year should he play for the Colts.

"It's a real honor to be mentioned with those other 25 guys, certainly," Rivers said Wednesday. "But I'm not holding my breath on that, and I hadn't been counting down the years. With all respect to the Hall— and if one day I can be part of that group, it will be special, no question about it— but the extension of that time, if it comes to be, was not a factor in my thinking."

Rivers, who last played in the NFL in January 2021, signed with the Colts practice squad following Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury.

His Hall of Fame eligibility countdown will reset if he is signed to the Colts' active roster, a spokesman told NBC Sports' Charean Williams.

Players first become eligible for the Hall of Fame after five years of retirement.

Rivers, who last played during the 2020 season, had made it to the semifinalist round in his first year of eligibility.

It remains to be seen if Rivers will be able to get up to game speed in time to play for the Colts this season.

ESPN's Stephen Holder reported Rivers "threw the ball well" during his workout with the Colts but that he "needs to improve his conditioning."

That's no surprise, given that head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday the Colts hadn't reached out to Rivers about potentially playing until Sunday night.

"He's been throwing and working out and stuff, but obviously football shape's a little different," Steichen said Wednesday. "So we'll get him back in this week, see how this week goes, and make a decision at the end of the week."

How urgently the Colts need him will depend on the health status of Riley Leonard, who NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported suffered a Grad 1 PCL sprain in his knee on Sunday.

Both Rivers and Leonard practiced Wednesday, Steichen said, although he did not commit to whether Leonard would get the start if healthy.

It sounds like whether Rivers makes his return to the NFL season will depend on his conditioning and Leonard's health rather than how long he'll have to wait to see his jersey enshrined in Canton.