"He got smoked": Ex-Eagles champ Chris Long shares bold take on Philip Rivers' first game after unretirement

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long has reacted to Philip Rivers’ performance for the Indianapolis Colts on his return from retirement. Rivers returned to Indianapolis last week as he turned 44, after almost five years in retirement.

The quarterback’s return was occasioned by an injury crisis in the Colts’ quarterbacks room. Daniel Jones picked up a season-ending Achilles injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while third-string rookie Riley Leonard got ruled out with a knee injury. Backup quarterback Anthony Richardson had already been ruled out with a facial injury.

The 44-year-old led the Colts to their important matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, putting up a performance considered impressive for his age. Despite not having taken a snap in close to five years, Philip Rivers completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Commenting on the performance, Long said:

“He got smoked a couple of times for sure. But he still got up just like he did four or five years ago. He still was kind of jawing like he did four or five years ago. I loved it. I loved seeing it. He proved today that he can compete at this level, four or five years later, in this offense. And I know that he didn’t light it up. But if you thought this game was going to be 44-0, you had another thing coming. Because it kind of came down to a kick. It came down to two kicks.”

Philip Rivers’ emotional reaction on his return from retirement

Speaking after the game, Philip Rivers was emotional as he fought back tears. He said:

“There is doubt, and it’s real. The guaranteed safe bet is to go home or to not go for it, and the other one is, ‘Shoot, let’s see what happens.’ I hope in that sense that can be a positive thing to some young boys or young people.”

Rivers is a devoted family man with 10 kids and coaches at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama. Sunday’s game made him the oldest active player in the NFL, a spot previously occupied by the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

In his first spell in the NFL, Rivers spent 16 years playing with the Chargers before joining the Colts in 2020. He helped them to an 11-5 record before losing in their first playoff game and subsequently announcing his retirement.