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Philip Rivers knew what he signed up for when he joined the Indianapolis Colts last week.
A semifinalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, Rivers’ eligibility was pushed back another five years after again becoming an active player. He will now be eligible to join Canton in 2031.
Rivers, 44, played his first game in nearly five years last week and almost came out with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
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Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins pose after the game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 29, 2019, in Miami, Florida. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” if he had ever considered a comeback, but the career journeyman, who played for nine teams, joked that he didn’t want to push back his Canton eligibility.
“I have contemplated, because I’ve got one more year before my health insurance runs out,” Fitzpatrick said. “So I have thought about that. That was a big deal for Philip, as we’ve seen with the 10 kids.
“But, for me, it just came down to: Do I want to reset the clock on my Hall of Fame eligibility? And I think that answer’s no, you know? I think next year we’ll see what happens there, and maybe after I don’t get inducted into the Hall of Fame first ballot, I’ll think about it.”
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
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Rivers did, in fact, get an additional five years of health insurance from the league — it expires five years after a player’s retirement.
Rivers was emotional after his first game back, which ended in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks by way of a walk-off field goal.
“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.”
Philip Rivers of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Dec. 14, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Rivers was 18-of-27 for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception with a 73.1 passer rating in his return. He will likely get the nod against the San Francisco 49ers in a home game on Monday night.
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