Philip Rivers to Meet with Colts to Discuss Retirement in About a Month, GM Says

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Thursday that he will speak with quarterback Philip Rivers to discuss his future with the franchise in about a month.  

According to Larra Overton of the Colts' official website, Ballard said he spoke with Rivers for an hour Wednesday and that both sides will take some time to evaluate the situation.

Ballard added: "Do I think Philip Rivers is a winning QB that we can win and go to the Super Bowl with? Absolutely I do."

Rivers, 39, signed a one-year deal with the Colts before the 2020 season and will become a free agent when the campaign ends.

In his first season with the Colts, Rivers led Indy to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. The Colts played well in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Buffalo Bills, but they fell just short in a 27-24 loss.

Rivers seemingly proved in that playoff game that he still has plenty left in the tank, going 27-of-46 for 309 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

He was also solid during the regular season, completing 68.0 percent of his passes for 4,169 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 11 picks were nine fewer than the previous season and his fewest since throwing 10 in 2017.

Before joining the Colts, Rivers spent the first 16 years of his NFL career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He appeared in 228 games for the Bolts, starting 224 of them and going 123-101.

Rivers never made it beyond the AFC Championship Game as the Chargers' starting quarterback, but he was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and currently ranks fifth in NFL history in both passing yards (63,440) and passing touchdowns (421).

While he benefited this season from a running game that ranked 11th in the league with 124.8 yards per game and a defense that was eighth in total defense with 332.1 yards allowed per game, he added stability to the team in his own right.

The Colts struggled offensively last season with Jacoby Brissett under center, and Rivers made the offense far more dangerous as a whole.

Moving on from Rivers is a possibility if a younger, more attractive option becomes available. But since the Colts don't have an early first-round pick, he may be their best bet—provided he wants to play another season at age 40.