When the 2020 season finally arrives, the Indianapolis Colts will have several questions to answer. One of the biggest questions they currently face is whether the move to sign quarterback Philip Rivers was the right one this offseason.
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After one of his worst seasons in recent memory in 2019, Rivers signed a one-year deal with the Colts for $25 million to be the new starting quarterback.
Returning to his 2018 form will be necessary for the Colts to reach the playoffs, and head coach Frank Reich believes the talent is still there at an elite level.
“I can just tell you this and I know we still have to play games and all that stuff, and that’s the exciting part but the further we get into this process with Philip, the more I’m convinced that was the right move for us,” Reich told reporters last week. “This guy is an elite quarterback and I think went with this roster.”
Rivers is coming off of a 20-interception season in his final campaign with the Chargers—the team he has spent his entire career with since the 2004 NFL Draft. Those 20 interceptions were the second-highest of his career.
But Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni believe the key to getting Rivers back to that upper echelon of production is the running game. They’ve pointed to his most successful seasons as a byproduct of a strong rushing attack.
The Colts finished with the seventh-most rushing yards in the NFL in 2019 and now have added the explosive rookie Jonathan Taylor to the backfield. Couple that with the elite offensive line play that Rivers will have, and the situation should provide him the opportunity to return to a productive level.
The 38-year-old quarterback might be far from his elite playing days, but the Colts believe they have the right situation to get him back to his upper-echelon form as they try to get back to the playoffs in 2020.
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