Philip Rivers to remain Colts' QB1 next Monday night vs. 49ers - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — The Philip Rivers experiment is not over.

Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen confirmed Monday that Rivers, newly untired and fresh off his first game in five years, will remain the team's starting quarterback for their Week 16 «Monday Night Football» matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Colts fell 18-16 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Rivers' first action since the 2020 season. He had a modest statistical performance, completing 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards. But Steichen lauded Rivers for his management of the game, which remains a driving force behind keeping him in the lineup.

«Him being off for that long, obviously, there was some unknown,» Steichen said. «But for him to go out there and do what he did to put us in a position to win, in a hostile environment, after that long of a layoff, was pretty impressive. Getting us into the right plays, managing the game. I thought he was phenomenal in that regard on the sidelines. His leadership — all those things that he brings to our team — will be beneficial for all of us.»

Another variable in the 44-year-old Rivers remaining the starter is his health. He took some forceful hits in the game, his first since his final NFL season. There was concern within the organization about how Rivers' body would respond. But Rivers was back at Colts headquarters Monday and said he was doing just fine.

«He feels good,» Steichen said. «He's in the quarterback room right now watching tape. He said he felt good. He said, 'I got my normal bruises that I had when I played,' but he said, 'I feel pretty darn good.' So, that was good for him to come out of the game clean.»

Though Steichen remains committed to Rivers, there is another quarterback wrinkle worth