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Daniel Jones injury: Sam Ehlinger turned down Colts reunion, prompting shift to Philip Rivers

Danby: Daniel Hager11 hours agoDanielHagerOn3

The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback situation continues to be one of the most interesting storylines in the NFL as the regular season winds down.

Just days after Comeback Player of the Year candidate Daniel Jones tore his achilles in Indianapolis’ 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts reportedly attempted to poach former quarterback Sam Ehlinger off of the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.

Per Jordan Schultz however, Ehlinger turned down the opportunity to re-join the Colts to remain with Denver. This led to Indianapolis signing 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers, who would be the oldest player in the NFL if elevated to the active roster, to its practice squad.

“The Colts reached out about the idea of adding Sam Ehlinger prior to Philip Rivers’ workout on Monday night, but in all likelihood, the plan was to add Ehlinger along with Rivers,” Schultz continued. “In the end, it’s just Rivers who joins Indy.”

Ehlinger was previously with Indianapolis from 2021-2024 after being selected by the Colts with the No. 218 overall pick in the 6th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft. During his time with the organization, Ehlinger started in three games and played in eight games overall. He boasts 573 career passing yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Following the 2024 season, Ehlinger latched on with the Denver Broncos practice squad, where he has remained since. Starting quarterback Bo Nix and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham are on the active roster, while Ehlinger is with the practice squad.

Sam Ehlinger’s decision to remain with Denver led to Indianapolis signing Philip Rivers

The Indianapolis Colts currently sit at 8-5, good for second in the AFC South behind the 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. They opened the season with an 8-2 record, but have since dropped three consecutive games. This pushed them out of the AFC Postseason picture, and with injuries to quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, and Riley Leonard, some help was needed.

With Ehlinger deciding to remain with Denver, Indianapolis decided to roll the dice on NFL veteran Philip Rivers.

He’s had an accomplished 17-year career, the first 16 of which came with the Los Angeles Chargers. Rivers is 134-106 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s thrown for 63,440 yards, 421 touchdowns and 209 interceptions. An eight-time Pro Bowler, Rivers is seventh on the all-time passing yards list and sixth on the all-time passing touchdowns list.

He would become the oldest player in the league by three years if elevated from the practice squad. He last took a snap in 2020 during his one season with the Colts.