It happened. The much-anticipated connection between the Indianapolis Colts and veteran quarterback Philip Rivers has come to fruition as the two sides have come together on an agreed contract.
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As the Colts search for help at the quarterback position following a disappointing season from Jacoby Brissett, the hope is that Rivers will push the team’s chances of making a deep playoff run immediately.
What this means for the depth chart
It will be interesting to see if the Colts make a move to get Brissett’s contract off of the books. Having Rivers on such a big contract ($25 million guaranteed) as well as Brissett’s $21.3 million cap hit doesn’t seem like something Chris Ballard wants to have on his finances.
Even if the Colts decide to keep Brissett, Rivers is likely the one taking the top spot on the depth chart. The Colts wouldn’t commit this kind of money simply to have the 38-year-old compete for a starting role. It’s his. With Rivers as the starter, Brissett could be the backup—or traded—while Brian Hoyer likely becomes expendable in either case.
What this means for the draft
The Colts could still use one of their seven picks on a quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft. There are a few paths they can go. They can keep Rivers and Brissett AND draft a quarterback, though that scenario is unlikely. They could ship Brissett off and draft a young quarterback, which would be the most likely scenario.
With Rivers now signing, the Colts could even wait on a quarterback for the 2021 draft. It wouldn’t seem likely as there are some solid developmental options in this year’s draft, but they could keep Rivers and Brissett despite their collective salary cap hits.
The most likely scenario is that the Colts take a developmental quarterback on Day 2, one with the traits they like but may be lacking in an improvable area.
What this means for the salary cap
On a one-year deal, Rivers will be commanding plenty of salary-cap space. Though the cap is expected to rise each year, he is still going to take a large chunk of cap space. With Brissett taking up the $21.3 million on the cap for 2020, the Colts might look to get him to another destination who would use his services as a starter? The Patriots obviously come to mind, but there isn’t any substance to that notion actually taking place.
The Colts have an abundance of salary cap space, and they would get more back by trading Brissett, but this will limit them somewhat when considering the rollover and draft pool money.