The NFL experienced a shock this week with the unretirement of quarterback Philip Rivers, who had been coaching at a high school after retiring five years ago.
Rivers, now 44 years old and father of ten children and grandfather of one, stated that returning to professional football feels like a great gift. And although his comeback raises many doubts about whether he is a good bet at this point in his life, he has said he continued training on his own so he would not lose the habit.
The reasons behind Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL
In Week 14, Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon without contact while trying to push his offense forward against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He suddenly dropped to the ground in clear pain, and it quickly became evident that the issue was the tendon that supports the foot. He would be out for the remainder of the season and for approximately nine months.
When this happened, one of Shane Steichen’s main options was to call his friend Philip Rivers. And even though Rivers had been out of professional action for years, the desire to return always exists for a former player.
A game I love to play… I wasn’t really hanging on any hope of playing again. I kind of thought that ship had sailed, but something about it excited me. A door opens, and you either walk through it or run from it. I just felt almost like it was a gift, another opportunity to play.
The last time Rivers threw a pass was in January 2021, and now that he is back on the practice squad with a strong possibility of starting this Sunday, December 14, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he is extremely excited.
Tom Brady spoke about what it feels like to retire and unretire
After it broke that Philip Rivers would return from his five-year retirement, Tom Brady wanted to be part of the conversation and joined the trend by speaking about something he knows well: retiring and unretiring.
Who retires and then unretires and then is ultimately going to retire? Who does that? Is that even… It’s ridiculous. I mean, for Philip to do that. But good for him.
When Brady announced his retirement, he lasted only 40 days before declaring his return, and he did so in strong fashion.
I think the answer for me would be yes. But I’m not allowed to anymore because I’m a minority owner of the Raiders, so I can’t unretire.
The GOAT said, later adding comments about the jokes surrounding Rivers’ age. But for Brady, the most important part is the mind.
This game is about, for the quarterback, from the neck up…The mental is to the physical as four is to one. That doesn’t go away. Do you still have the physical ability to still do it – take the hits, make the throws, the drops, buy a little time in the pocket?
Now we will have to wait for the Week 15 matchup to see whether Rivers debuts, how he performs, and in what condition he truly is. That will either fuel the mockery or silence it completely and bring in the praise.
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