Warren Moon gives advice to Philip Rivers ahead of NFL return

In a crazy turn of events, it seems certain that Philip Rivers will make his first NFL appearance in nearly five years.

Rivers turned 44 earlier this week and recently became a grandfather, but after injuries to both Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard, the Indianapolis Colts had almost nowhere to go.

This was as good a matchup as the Colts could find, considering Rivers played for Shane Steichen and the Colts in 2020, so Rivers was familiar with the offense.

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But it’s still half a decade since he was in the league. Warren Moon, who also played in the NFL in his mid-40s, offered advice to Rivers.

“Trust your running backs. They’ve got a great running back (like Jonathan Taylor) to lean on, and their offensive line is going to have to play really well, play really physical to control the offensive line and keep it out of long-yardage situations,” Moon said. TMZ Sports.

“Because I think that’s where he’s going to get hurt the most if he has to go with third-and-8, third-and-9, third-and-10, he might have to hold on to the football a little bit longer than he wants to. So, having been away from football for so long, does he have the ability to move in the pocket like he used to?”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) before playing against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card game at Bills Stadium on January 9, 2021. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)

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Moon admitted he was “worried” about Rivers returning due to the lengthy layoff.

“He’s been away from the team for five years and even though he’s been in the games, coaching the game, probably talking to former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and all those guys about it, when he goes out there every day you don’t know how his body is going to respond, the grind of practice and how his body is going to feel after a week of practice,” Moon said. “Does he still have the fast-twitch muscles needed to play this game, which has probably gotten faster since he retired from the game five years ago? Those are the things that concern me in terms of his reaction time and how he can get the ball out of his hands quickly enough.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during practice at the Colts practice facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The Colts started 7-1 but lost four of their last five games, including the last three. They will travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks as Rivers will likely try to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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