What Philip Rivers signing with the Colts means for his Hall of Fame candidacy

After losing Daniel Jones for the season with an Achilles injury, the Indianapolis Colts are turning back the clock to shore up their quarterback room.

By signing a grandfather.

Philip Rivers, who has not played in the NFL since the 2020 season and is yes, a grandfather, is signing with the Colts after meeting with the team and working out for the coaching staff. This is a reunion of sorts on two levels. head coach Shane Steichen was a coach in the Chargers organization for years, and Rivers’ final NFL season came in Indianapolis with the Colts. Rivers and the Colts advanced to the playoffs that season, bowing out in a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Wild Card Weekend.

This makes for a fascinating story, and also presents an interesting wrinkle for Hall of Fame voters.

This is his first year of eligibility for inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Rivers was recently named as one of 26 Modern-Era semifinalists for enshrinement in the Class of 2026. Rivers is one of three quarterbacks in the group, along with Drew Brees and Eli Manning. A five-year waiting period for eligibility remains in effect for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

At the moment, Rivers is simply signing with the Colts’ practice squad. According to a spokesperson from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as long as he remains on the practice squad, he remains eligible to be a member of the Class of 2026.

However, if he is signed to the active roster and takes a snap, it would reset that five-year period, and the earliest he would be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is 2031, provided he does not play next year.

“If he’s signed to the practice squad, and that’s his status with the team (and thus still eligible for Hall) for an extended period to the point that we announce the final 15, and he then goes active, he’d come off, and we’d have 14,” the spokesman said to NBC Sports.

That reference to 14 highlights another point. The next step in the Hall of Fame voting process is narrowing the group of 26 players down to 15. That vote takes place later this month.

Then at the annual Hall of Fame Selection Meeting, held early next year, the Class of 2026 will be announced.

If Rivers is still on the practice squad for the vote in December, but is subsequently signed to the active roster, it could create a situation where he makes the list of 15 players to advance to the next stage of voting, but is removed after signing to the active roster.

There does seem to be some grey areas: What if he is elevated but does not take a snap? Is he still eligible?

This is probably a scenario the Hall of Fame did not consider when putting together the requirements for eligibility.