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Philip Rivers’ Indianapolis Colts contract comes with more than just a healthy sum for the four games he intends to play with the franchise that needed him at quarterback.
Rivers shocked everyone in the football world when he answered a call from the Colts, the last NFL team he played for in 2020 before hanging up his cleats for good — at least that’s what he believed then.
Rivers came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum of $1.255 million, according to Pro Football Talk. That deal, though, is reportedly prorated over the next four games, with Rivers’ real take-home pay at $278,889.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers on the sideline during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Dec. 6, 2020. (Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports)
But there’s more than just the six-figure sum that Rivers is getting by coming back to the NFL. In fact, it might be more important for a father of 10 children.
Rivers’ health insurance from the league is also back, and it was set to expire with his five years post-career being up at the end of this season.
Now, Rivers’ expiration date has been reset to five more years, meaning the league’s health insurance plan that he was on will be going through 2030. Pretty sweet deal for his family, too.
COLTS’ PHILIP RIVERS HOPES EMOTIONAL NFL RETURN PROVIDES INSPIRATION
Rivers was emotional after his first game back, which ended in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks by way of walk-off field goal. Blake Grupe had drilled a 60-yarder to give the Colts the lead, but Seahawks kicker Jason Myers hit his sixth field goal of the game for the 18-16 victory at home.
Rivers was 18-of-27 for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception with a 73.1 passer rating in his return.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers before playing the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card game at Bills Stadium on Jan. 9, 2021. (Rich Barnes/USA Today Sports)
“Maybe it will inspire or teach not to run or be scared of what may or may not happen,” Rivers said after the loss about what his return could mean to those watching. “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.”
Colts head coach Shane Steichen committed to Rivers immediately for the team’s “Monday Night Football” game against the San Francisco 49ers this week, which doesn’t come as a surprise.
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Indianapolis remains in the playoff hunt in the AFC, hoping to snap a four-game losing streak after going 8-2 to begin the season.
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