Philip Rivers agrees to a one-year deal with the Colts
Philip Rivers will continue his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts.
In a move that had been anticipated for weeks, the former Charger agreed Tuesday to a one-year, $25-million contract, according to reports.
Rivers reunites with Frank Reich (Indianapolis’ head coach) and Nick Sirianni (the Colts’ offensive coordinator), both of whom used to coach with the Chargers.
The quarterback will replace Jacoby Brissett, who took over as the starter in Indianapolis last season after the unexpected retirement for Andrew Luck. Brissett struggled as the Colts, after a 5-2 start, lost seven of their final nine games.
The Chargers moved closer to potentially signing Tom Brady after the six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback announced Tuesday he is leaving the Patriots.
Rivers, 38, spent 16 seasons with the Chargers and made 235 consecutive starts.
The team announced in February that the sides were parting ways, ending a relationship that began on April 24, 2004, when the Chargers acquired Rivers from the New York Giants in a draft-day deal that included Eli Manning.
Owner Dean Spanos called Rivers “the heart and soul of our organization” in a statement. He also praised the veteran quarterback for his ability to connect with fans.
“There’s only one Philip Rivers, and we’ve been fortunate to call him our QB1 for the better part of two decades,” Spanos said. “We cannot thank Philip enough for giving it his all on every single down and for the memories he created that will last a lifetime.”
Rivers was the backup to Drew Brees during his first two NFL seasons. After Brees left for New Orleans via free agency in March of 2006, Rivers took over as the starter.
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He held the job for all of the Chargers’ 224 regular-season and 11 playoff games since and is the franchise leader in more than 30 categories, including passing yards and touchdowns.
“I never took for granted the opportunity to lead this team out on to the field for 235 games,” Rivers said after his time with the Chargers ended. “We had a lot of great moments, beginning in San Diego and then finishing in L.A. I wish my teammates and coaches nothing but the best moving forward.”
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