Following a disappointing 2019 season, the Indianapolis Colts made a big move in free agency by signing veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, who is thought by most to represent an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett.
While that sentiment is shared by the majority of the Colts community and some in the national media, the signing of Rivers does carry some risk. With a unique offseason of isolation and him coming off of a down year, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed the signing as the riskiest move the Colts made this offseason.
This one’s a no-brainer.
A year ago at this time, the notion of Philip Rivers being the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts would have been considered silly. Andrew Luck was still playing in Indy, and Rivers was still firmly entrenched as the quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers.
A lot can change in 365 days.
After a wildly disappointing season in L.A., the Chargers let Rivers walk in free agency. He landed in Indianapolis, where the Colts endured their own letdown season after Luck gave way to Jacoby Brissett under center.
Now the question becomes whether Rivers is the quarterback who threw 32 touchdown passes against just 12 picks on the way to a 12-4 season in 2018 or the turnover machine who was picked off 20 times last season.
Rivers will turn 39 in December, meaning he’s a lot closer to the end of the road than the beginning. But if he can turn back the clock one last time in 2020, the Colts have the talent to make a run at the Super Bowl.
If he can’t, the Colts are that much farther away from gaining real traction on a rebuild.
The 38-year-old signal-caller is certainly past his prime, but the Colts believe they have the tools necessary to get him back to his 2018 form—or at least something close to that.
There is risk with signing any veteran to immediately come in and change the production of a position, but only time will tell when it comes to the impact Rivers will make in 2020.