Philip Rivers, talking to reporters for the first time since signing his new contract with the Indianapolis Colts, admitted that he seriously considered retirement before the offer from the Colts came through.
"I think really where we settled in is I still love to play, certainly not coming off my best year [in 2019], but I know I still can play at a high level," Rivers said, according to ESPN. "... It was one of those deals where we said if there's nothing else out there then that'll be our answer. I don't want to just try to hang on to play.
"The fact it ended up being with this organization, it made it that much more exciting to keep going," he added.
Rivers is coming off of one of the worst statistical years of his career, throwing only 23 TDs with a dreadful 20 interceptions. He played for the Chargers from 2004 to 2019.
The Colts, despite a promising outlook on the season, finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs in 2019, after star quarterback Andrew Luck surprisingly retired before the start of the regular season. Luck's replacement Jacoby Brissett looked promising at times but struggled far too often.
Philip Rivers joins the Colts on a one-year contract that will likely be his final season.