This is what happens to Philip Rivers’ Hall of Fame candidacy if he makes Colts comeback originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Philip Rivers is one of 52 players still up for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.He’s also set to work out for the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday.The Colts have lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending torn Achilles injury. Backup QB Riley Leonard is hurting, too. Currently, Brett Rypien is the only healthy quarterback in the organization.Indy needs something, and so they’ve called up their old friend Rivers. Rivers has been coaching high school football, but he’s going to see what kind of an opportunity there is.MORE: Jalen Hurts made the worst play in fantasy football historyThe Colts don’t know for sure whether Rivers still has his game, but it’s worth checking in.And if Rivers ends up playing for the Colts?Even one snap would entirely reset his Hall of Fame clock. It actually resets if he’s just signed to an active roster.In regards to Philip Rivers Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility, according to The Hall: If he is signed to the active roster, his HOF eligibility clock resets. That’s a 5-year wait. If he is only signed the practice squad, it does not. Rivers is one of 26 semifinalists for the…— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) December 9, 2025Clearly, that’s probably not the first priority for Rivers here. It’s up to him to decide if he wants to play in the NFL again. It’s up to the Colts to decide if they want to offer him a contract.MORE:How the Buffalo Bills at home in the snow in December are an unbreakable streakThe Hall of Fame will be there, or won’t be there, whenever Rivers is finally done with football for good.But this would definitely be a new kind of situation. Sometimes players make comebacks after a year away, but they aren’t usually in the middle of the Hall of Fame process when they return.Rivers was sometimes slightly overlooked during his prime when he played for the Chargers. If he made an unlikely comeback like this, he’d definitely have all eyes on him. Whether that’s good or bad would depend on how he performed actually back on the field.But first, a workout. The Colts and Rivers will decide what to do from there.More news:Texas Tech commit breaks 72-year old TX HS football rushing recordThe Raiders with one of the worst bad beats you’ll ever seeChet Holmgren shows the proper respect to Red PandaNotre Dame rushed for more yards in the SEC title game than AlabamaCommanders pulled an RG3 on Jayden DanielsThe only 2 kickers as bad this season as Harrison Butker have been released