INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers had been on the Indianapolis Colts’ roster for lower than 24 hours, however he was already taking heart stage, capturing the complete consideration of his teammates.
Wednesday morning, when the Colts reconvened as a full unit to start the week’s recreation prep, coach Shane Steichen gave Rivers the ground in a crew assembly. Rivers, who shocked the NFL this week together with his choice to come back out of retirement to assist quarterback the Colts after 5 years away from the NFL, capably took full benefit of the second.
Even together with his transient remarks, Rivers introduced a wanted jolt to a crew that has skilled a sequence of destabilizing setbacks.
“He stated, ‘You recognize what? I believe for most individuals you all the time know what this recreation involves, and in some unspecified time in the future I believed it would be over,'” heart Tanor Bortolini stated, recalling Rivers’ animated speech. “‘So, it is fairly cool to be again. And I do not take this as a right in any respect.’
“You simply know that he’ll give every little thing he has.”
After beginning quarterback Daniel Jones sustained a torn proper Achilles in Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts’ postgame locker room scene was that of a crew in mourning. The silence was deafening, with gamers coming to phrases with their current three-game dropping streak, their dwindling playoff hopes and the season-ending lack of a beloved teammate.
Receiver Alec Pierce, displaying his feelings on his face, struggled to cope with the realities after the sport.
“I nonetheless have not processed it,” Pierce stated within the customer’s locker room at EverBank Stadium. “I really feel horrible for him.”
That left Steichen and common supervisor Chris Ballard to think about their choices at quarterback. Rivers — with whom Steichen has years of historical past throughout their concurrent time within the Chargers group — was one of many first prospects the coach thought-about.
Rivers’ intimate information of the Colts’ offensive system, which stays largely the identical because the one they used with the Chargers, will place him to assist straight away if he proves his 44-year-old physique can deal with the trials. Rivers already seems to be trending towards being the starter when the Colts play a street contest towards the Seattle Seahawks (10-3) on Sunday. Riley Leonard, who had been Jones’ backup, has practiced this week — he was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday — however has a proper knee harm that he sustained towards Jacksonville. His standing for Sunday has not been decided.
However there was an additional profit to the thought of including Rivers: The Colts would additionally get the limitless power he brings to each room he enters. Rivers carries himself like he has had one too many lattes, whether or not it is within the assembly room or on the follow area. And that youthful enthusiasm and competitiveness was a wanted high quality for a dull crew that has misplaced 4 of its previous 5 video games.
“He does give us juice, I am going to let you know that,” Steichen stated. “I do know that. He’ll have a ton of it, so I believe that helps for certain. I undoubtedly suppose it helps.”
That was a part of the motivation for Steichen altering Wednesday’s schedule from a walk-through to a full follow.
“I believe the most important factor is I needed to get some juice going this week for certain,” Steichen stated. “After which, clearly, it additionally helped with Philip, too. Being in right here, getting some reps.”
A part of that effort to supply some “juice” was permitting Rivers to deal with his new teammates Wednesday morning.
Rivers’ message to the 8-5 Colts, who nonetheless have very real looking playoff odds: The season isn’t over.
“He stated, ‘We have a fairly good report now,'” guard Matt Goncalves stated. “He stated, ‘Why not us?’ Principally, he stated to maintain our heads up as a result of something can occur.”
Working again Jonathan Taylor is one in all 15 present Colts who performed alongside Rivers in his one season with the franchise in 2020. And one of many defining recollections of Rivers’ time in Indy, Taylor stated, was the enhance he supplied together with his mere presence.
“Having the ability to type of have a few of that power that we had beforehand, I believe that it was very nice, and I believe that we will proceed to make use of that,” Taylor stated. “Clearly, we have now to go and execute out at follow and ensure it interprets on Sunday. However simply from an power, a vibe, a juice standpoint, I believe it was actually good.”
There is a palpable buzz within the constructing this week as gamers and employees stay up for an enormous problem towards Seattle. A shot on the playoffs will all the time seize a crew’s consideration. However the return of Rivers has lots to do with it, too.
“It is truly fairly cool to see him right here again within the flesh,” Taylor stated. “And it is nonetheless the identical ol’ Phil. He is simply superior.”
