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# ‘Dadgummit, Let’s Go’: Seahawks Bracing For Philip Rivers’ Unexpected Return as Colts QB
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/dadgummit-lets-go-seattle-seahawks-philip-rivers-unexpected-return/
- Published: 2025-12-12T20:51:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:48:05.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Features, Analysis, Seahawks, Mike Macdonald, Jarran Reed, Nick Emmanwori, Leonard Williams

RENTON, Wash. - Whether as a defensive coordinator in Baltimore or as head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald has ample experience preparing for multiple quarterbacks during the same week of game planning, including recently doing so gearing up for both J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer leading up to a Week 13 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

But with four games left to play and the Colts set to visit Lumen Field on Sunday, Macdonald found himself doing something he has never done before: scouting a “new” quarterback in Philip Rivers by watching the last games he played in from the 2020 season. The 44-year old signal caller unexpectedly came out of retirement to join the team’s practice squad earlier this week after starter Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, and after practicing this week, he’s poised to start his first NFL game in nearly five years.

“It's the NFL, man. Every week is different,” Macdonald said of Indianapolis bringing back Rivers. “Finally, we had something crazy happen this year that wasn't expected, as to opposed to last year with the power going out. Felt like we had something going every week last year. That is kind of it. Just if anybody can pull it off, it's him. Guy is probably one of the best competitors in the history of the NFL, and I'm sure he wouldn't do it if he didn't feel like he was ready. We're getting ready for him like he's been playing the whole time.”

Oddly enough, Rivers’ return isn’t unprecedented. Back in 1998, 44-year-old Steve DeBerg came out of retirement to sign with the Falcons as a backup for Chris Chandler, starting a single game with nine completions on 20 attempts for 117 yards and an interception. But just because it has happened once before doesn’t make it any less stunning - or difficult to game plan for.

When Rivers hung up his cleats after the 2020 season, he ranked sixth in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards, fifth in passing touchdowns (421), and 10th in completion percentage (64.9%) all-time, turning in one of the finest careers by a quarterback in league history. He recently had been announced as a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, though returning to play will reset his five-year clock and he won’t be eligible to go into Canton if he does end up suiting up for the Colts, with his decision to come back under such a scenario marveling Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams.

“It couldn’t be me,” Williams smiled, wrongly saying that he had never played against Rivers even though he did once back in 2017\. “I feel like if I were retired that long it would be hard to come back into the NFL. Either way, I feel like we always focus on ourselves regardless of who is playing. We want to rush and get to the quarterback regardless of who the quarterback is.”

Rivers last played for the Colts during the COVID season in 2020, leading the team to an 11-5 record with 24 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions, and a 68% completion rate. Indianapolis lost to Buffalo in the Wild Card round 27-24 in Orchard Park, and the veteran decided to walk away to become a high school football coach, leading to a revolving door under center over the past five seasons for the franchise that has included Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco, and Jones with at least six starts apiece during that span.

Closing in on five years since his last NFL snap, Rivers presents a fascinating case study in regard to how the Seahawks will game plan for him. As Macdonald indicated, the coaching staff has to check out footage from his most recent games at the start of the new decade to provide a glimpse of what he may still be good at while also balancing the current scheme deployed by coach Shane Steichen and what the Colts have excelled at this year.

“It's tricky,” Macdonald explained. “You know, do you overthink it? You're going to go back and watch some of the stuff he was doing before he retired. Obviously going to go off a lot of what they've done this year. So at the end of the day, we’ve got to go play football and make sure we're on our stuff and ahead of plays and playing our style of ball.”

Never known as a beacon of mobility even his prime, Rivers won’t be running many of the concepts that Jones excelled at, including a bunch of bootleg rollouts off play action and the occasional designed quarterback run or read option. The Seahawks shouldn’t expect to see the grandfather - yes, this is not a joke, as he was drafted in 2004 when rookie safety Nick Emmanwori was two months old - trying to sprint outside of the pocket unless he’s being badgered by oncoming pass rushers. That was never his game and certainly won’t be in his mid-40s.

However, Steichen shouldn’t have to completely re-invent Indianapolis’ offense with Rivers under center either. Though the quarterback run element won’t be present at all that Jones offered, with him still having a quick enough trigger and a strong football IQ, the Colts still should be able to run some RPO (Run Pass Option) concepts - per Pro Football Reference, they have thrown 56 RPO passes this year, sixth-most in the NFL - reading linebackers or second level defenders to determine whether to hand the ball off to star back Jonathan Taylor or quickly unload the football to the hot receiver.

Given the volume of RPO concepts Steichen has dialed up this year, Macdonald should have such plays bookmarked as a key component of Seattle’s defensive game plan this week, seeing that as a translatable part of the offense that Rivers can operate on short notice.

As for what the Seahawks should expect in the passing game in general, Rivers already had been suffering from diminished arm strength when he hung up his cleats in 2020, often uncorking wobbly ducks on throws 20-plus yards downfield. Still, he had 26 completions with 18 Big Time Throws on such passes, according to Pro Football Focus charting, so he had his moments where he could get the ball to receivers vertically. Whether he can still do that at all five years later remains to be seen.

“He's seen every type of defense that you can name. Knows where to go with the ball,” defensive tackle Jarran Reed said of Rivers. “I don't know what to expect, to be honest. I don't know which quarterback we'll see, but he's coming off the couch after five years, so we'll see on Sunday.”

Considering the unique circumstances going against a vicious Seahawks pass rush, the Colts will likely lean on the quick passing game out of necessity, looking to play into Rivers’ perceived strengths at 44 years young. Throughout his career, he consistently ranked near the top of the league in time to throw, proving himself to be difficult to sack over the years, including finishing second with 2.38 seconds to throw per drop back while taking 19 sacks for Indianapolis in 2020.

This will put the onus on Seattle’s defense to tackle well, as Indianapolis will be counting on Rivers to get the ball out of his hands in rapid fashion to his playmakers with hopes receivers Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, rookie tight end Tyler Warren, Taylor, and others can create yardage after the catch. Limiting YAC will be crucial, as preventing chunk plays off short passes or screens behind the line of scrimmage will put the Colts into unideal long yardage situations that will allow Williams, Reed, and the Seahawks’ pass rush to pin their ears back and hunt the veteran quarterback.

Ultimately, there will be a feeling out period for the Seahawks early on Sunday, as nobody knows what to truly expect from Rivers after being out of the game for such a long time and starting a game literally five days after being called back to duty as a practice squad signee. Watching his film from half a decade ago will only go so far, while trying to match his skills with Steichen’s current offense carries some projection with Jones being a far different quarterback stylistically.

Even in the run game, there may be wide zone and stretch concepts that aren’t on the table because of concerns about Rivers being able to physically get to the mesh point for handoffs quick enough.

But as one of the few players on Macdonald’s defense who has played against the quarterback in the past, Reed isn’t going to be taking the assignment lightly against the hyper-competitive Rivers and will be sending that message loud and clear to his teammates, understanding the future Hall of Famer and renowned trash talking artist has seen everything on a football field and still has the moxie to make Seattle pay if the team doesn’t respect the process preparing for Indianapolis accordingly.

“You’ve still got to respect the game, man, because overall, he was a great quarterback in this league when he was playing. But, you know, we can't look past it and take it for granted. Like I say all the time, we got to respect our grind, respect our process, and just got play good football.”