Philip Rivers' former teammate expresses one concern he has with 44-year-old's return to Colts

There is simply a bully accidental Philip Rivers sees immoderate enactment connected Sunday erstwhile the Indianapolis Colts instrumentality connected the Seattle Seahawks successful a must-win crippled for the AFC South team.

Rivers, 44, joined the Colts earlier this week arsenic the squad deals with a backmost crisis. The imaginable Hall of Famer hasn’t played since the 2020 season, but erstwhile the Colts needed him the most, helium answered the telephone and dove into a playbook to get crippled ready.

But what tin immoderate NFL instrumentality deliberation Rivers is going to supply for the Colts astatine 44? He’s changed truthful overmuch since the 2020 season, arsenic his opponents connected the field. The Seahawks besides person 1 of the champion defenses successful the league.

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Shawne Merriman #56 of the San Diego Chargers walks connected the sideline successful the crippled against the Seattle Seahawks connected Aug. 15, 2009 astatine Qualcomm Stadium successful San Diego, California. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Shawne Merriman, Rivers’ erstwhile teammate, told Fox News Digital that helium expected him to play good but was acrophobic astir 1 thing.

"It’s a pugnacious week for him to get back. But I’ll archer you this, Phil’s upside was ne'er his athleticism. It was ever his competitiveness," helium said. "He’s the astir competitory subordinate I’ve ever played with, that’s one. And two, it was his mentation and his intelligence and his cognition of the crippled of football. Those 2 things would ever got Philip to beryllium that elite quarterback. It was that. So, it’s not gonna beryllium that overmuch antithetic arsenic acold arsenic him moving astir the pocket.

"The interest I bash person is you can’t replicate shot without playing it. So, you tin person a manager retired there, I’m definite helium was throwing the shot astir with his precocious schoolhouse kids. I’m definite that helium was moving out, but you can’t replicate football. So, I deliberation he’s gonna spell retired determination and look good. I deliberation he’s gonna spell retired determination and really look similar helium did 5 years ago."

When the rumors started that Rivers was perchance going to travel to Indianapolis for a workout, Merriman said helium wasn’t surprised.

Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks for an unfastened receiver during the 3rd 4th against the Kansas City Chiefs astatine Arrowhead Stadium connected Dec. 29, 2019 successful Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

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The erstwhile San Diego Chargers prima said erstwhile helium spoke to Rivers during Antonio Gates’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony, it didn’t consciousness similar the backmost was wholly finished with the game.

"I wasn’t shocked. And, this is wherefore – a mates of years ago, I enactment connected Twitter that Phil was inactive acceptable to play and this was I deliberation successful 2023," helium said. "And everybody’s like, ‘What? Well, yeah, right.’ He’s been gone retired of the crippled I deliberation 3 years astatine that constituent and past virtually a week aboriginal oregon two, it pops up that the San Francisco 49ers, their backmost concern with each their injuries, that they were reasoning astir bringing successful Philip. And I said, I told you.

"I had a speech with Philip and helium didn’t say, ‘Oh, I’m coming backmost to play,’ but erstwhile you talked to him, it sounded similar helium was ready. It sounded similar helium was talking astir the crippled successful the contiguous moment."

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Merriman said helium got unneurotic with Rivers and Drew Brees during Antonio Gates’ Hall of Fame induction ceremonial and it didn’t similar Rivers was precisely finished with football.

"So, I’m not amazed astatine each and it’s the close determination by the Indianapolis Colts."

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