INDIANAPOLIS -- Philip Rivers isn’t going to let a hurt toe stop him. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback isn’t going to let it stop his streak of 236 straight starts, which is the second-longest in NFL history. And he’s definitely not going to let it stop him from being on the field to help the Colts try to make the playoffs during the stretch run of the 2020 season.
About the only question remaining with Rivers when it comes to his toe is: How much will the injury hamper his playing ability?
If the past two-plus games are any indication, Rivers and the Colts will be just fine as he battles his way through it.
“He loves the game, and it shows,” receiver T.Y. Hilton said. “His toughness speaks for itself.”
In Week 11, Rivers did something that likely caused owner Jim Irsay to cringe when he attempted to block a Green Bay defender. Irsay prefers for his quarterbacks to avoid as much contact as possible during the games. Rivers, showing his competitive side, didn’t take heed to that, and that’s when he injured his toe.
Rivers left the game momentarily, but returned later and helped the Colts come from behind to beat the Packers in overtime.
“That probably wasn’t the best decision there,” Rivers said about the block, days after the game. “… I guess sometimes the 16-year-old linebacker and 17-year-old free safety comes out every now and then. I can’t help myself.”
The process to help Rivers has been the same the past couple of weeks: Rehab as much as possible. The quarterback has missed each of the past two Wednesday practices, the most intense day of each game week, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it stays that way going forward unless he heals quickly.
Injuries are the last thing Rivers enjoys talking about. Maybe that’s why he’s been able to overcome all the nicks and bruises he’s suffered over the years to keep his streak intact. He rehabs when he can and steps on the field expecting to produce on game days, even if it means there was a photo of him leaving the stadium in a walking boot, as there was on Sunday after the Colts held on to beat the Houston Texans.
Rivers, who is normally one of the first two people to speak to the media after games, was the last to do so Sunday because he was receiving treatment on his toe. He took so long that he did his Zoom call with the media while on the team bus to the airport.
“Rather than getting into the details of everything, shoot, I'm just working each week, finding a way to be out there,” Rivers said. “I don't feel any limitations as far as what I can do out there. It's just a matter of managing it week to week at this point.”
Rivers’ injury would be a different story if it were his right hand, arm or shoulder. The Colts can probably get away with him not being 100 percent with his toe because the offense isn’t built for him to be run the ball or make a lot of throws on the run. Rivers, who turns 39 on Tuesday, is not Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes when it comes to athleticism.
“It's not like we're running sprint-outs and bootlegs with him,” coach Frank Reich said. “He's a pocket passer. He doesn't scramble a whole lot. Whatever level of pain he's dealing with, I feel confident that he can play winning football. He's getting better each week. ... It's not at the point where I feel like it's hindering the way we call the game at all.”
Rivers was sacked a season-high three times against the Texans, but neither the sacks, nor the injured toe, stopped him from going 27-of-35 for 285 yards and two touchdowns. His 119.3 passer rating was Rivers’ highest since he had a 125.6 rating against the still-winless New York Jets in Week 3.
The Colts will need more of that type of consistency the rest of the way. They have the same 8-4 record as Tennessee, but the Titans currently own the tiebreaker because they have a better division record. The Colts only have a one-game lead over Las Vegas for the final playoff spot in the AFC heading into Sunday’s meeting between the two teams.
“To say that I don't know what's going on out there would be a lie,” Rivers said. “But we truly can't worry about that. We can't worry about what the Titans do or we can’t worry about what anybody else does. ... We put all our attention on the Vegas Raiders and find a way to go 1-0 this week, not get caught up in what could happen over the next four weeks because who knows -- who knows what's going to happen? We've just got to control what we can control.”