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The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 23-17. They were already eliminated from playoff contention, ending a promising season with an injury-filled dud. The Colts brought Philip Rivers out of retirement to play quarterback, but Shane Steichen may start Riley Leonard in the season finale.
“Postgame: Colts coach Shane Steichen said he’ll think over his QB decision the next couple of days and decide who will start in Week 18 at Houston,” ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported.
Rivers went 17-30 for 147 yards on Sunday, a far fall from his primetime performance last Monday. Leonard came in for the Hail Mary pass at the end, which was intercepted. Leonard led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the National Championship game last year, but he has not been great in relief for the Colts this year. But it may be time for Indy to see what they have and let Rivers ride into the sunset, again.
The Colts face the Houston Texans in Week 18, who still have an outside shot at winning the AFC South. They need to win, while the Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans in their matchup. But the Colts are playing out the string, as they are eliminated from playoff contention at 8-8.
Leonard has appeared in four games now, including the interception on Sunday. The Colts used a sixth-round pick on him in the most recent NFL Draft and are hoping to strike gold. Houston’s defense is a tough test, but a great game could put him in the Colts’ quarterback competition next season.
Rivers came back after a five-year hiatus and gave the Colts a chance in their Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks. The defense struggled in Week 16, while it was not great for the offense in Week 17. His retirement should continue after the season, although he’s shown that you can never say never.
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