When comeback veteran quarterback Philip Rivers spoke to reporters after the Colts' loss on Sunday afternoon, it was not immediately clear whether the 44-year-old had just made his final NFL start.
Now, however, it is reportedly official. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Stephen Holder, the Colts are expected to start rookie Riley Leonard for the team's season finale vs. the Texans in Week 18, which means that—barring another comeback in a year or two—Rivers's QB1 days are officially over.
The Colts are expected to start rookie Riley Leonard on Sunday against the Texans, sources told @HolderStephen and me.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 30, 2025
After three games with Philip Rivers and the Colts falling out of the playoffs, Indy will get a look at the rookie. pic.twitter.com/vuBP9Y7YUO
The decision makes sense. Although it would be fun to get another look at the vet, the Colts were eliminated from playoff contention last week. Starting Rivers means putting him at risk for a devastating injury, something he has thankfully avoided these past three games, and it would be pointless to see him go down with something for essentially no reason. Plus, this will give Indy another look at their rookie out of Notre Dame, who could possibly get some chances at starting next season, depending on how the team's QB situation shakes out.
The Colts started the year with Daniel Jones under center, and the former Giants QB had what can only be described as a transformative year. But he later went down with an Achilles tear, for which recovery will take approximately six to eight months. Then, 2023 draft pick Anthony Richardson Sr. was placed on IR about midway through the season after sustaining an orbital bone fracture and has not yet been activated. All this, plus a possible injury to Leonard at one point, prompted the Colts to call Rivers and save their waning season. Although he played well, the 44-year-old was unable to lead the team to the postseason.
The 189th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Leonard finished the regular season with 145 passing yards on 18 completions and two interceptions, plus one rushing touchdown on three carries.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colts Make Starting Quarterback Decision For 2025 Season Finale vs. Texans.
