Philip Rivers answered the call when the Indianapolis Colts needed him most and nearly led the team to an upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but fell just short.
The Seahawks were able to eke out an 18-16 win on Sunday thanks to kicker Jason Myers' six field goals. Rivers had a touchdown in his return, but couldn't muster up any more explosive offense in the second half. He gave as gritty a performance as a 44-year-old player who hadn't played in nearly five years could.
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Back home in Alabama, the high school football team he coaches watched as the Colts quarterback attempted to guide his team to a victory. Rivers had been coaching St. Michael Catholic High School football before he returned to the gridiron. He said he hoped he provided some inspiration for the youngsters.
"Maybe it will inspire or teach not to run or be scared of what may or may not happen," Rivers said after the game. "Hopefully, I think of my sons and those ball players that I'm in charge of at the school, they'll say like, 'Crap, coach wasn't scared.'
"There is doubt, and it's real. The guaranteed safe bet is to go home or to not go for it, and the other one is, 'Shoot, let's see what happens.' I hope in that sense that can be a positive to some young boys, or young people."
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Rivers entered an exclusive club when he threw a touchdown pass to Josh Downs. He became the fifth player in NFL history to throw a TD pass at age 44 or older, joining Tom Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg and Vinny Testaverde.
"It's been 1,800 days since I've thrown a touchdown - or interception for that matter. So we have both those (boxes) checked," Rivers said.
Just last month, Rivers was named as one of the 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2026. But his eligibility will reset because of his appearance in the game.
Now, the earliest Rivers can be a candidate is for the class of 2031.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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