Philip Rivers, talking to reporters for the first time since signing his new contract with the Indianapolis Colts, admitted that he seriously considered retirement before the offer from the Colts came through.

Harry How / Getty Images

“I think really where we settled in is I still love to play, certainly not coming off my best year [in 2019], but I know I still can play at a high level,” Rivers said, according to ESPN. “… It was one of those deals where we said if there’s nothing else out there then that’ll be our answer. I don’t want to just try to hang on to play.

“The fact it ended up being with this organization, it made it that much more exciting to keep going,” he added.

Rivers is coming off of one of the worst statistical years of his career, throwing only 23 TDs with a dreadful 20 interceptions. He played for the Chargers from 2004 to 2019.

The Colts, despite a promising outlook on the season, finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs in 2019, after star quarterback Andrew Luck surprisingly retired before the start of the regular season. Luck’s replacement Jacoby Brissett looked promising at times but struggled far too often. 

Philip Rivers joins the Colts on a one-year contract that will likely be his final season.

Philip Rivers will forever be considered a legend in the state of California. While he never won the Chargers franchise a Super Bowl, he is still considered to be one of the best quarterbacks they have ever had. A few weeks ago, Rivers announced that he would be moving on from the Chargers and would be looking to continue his career elsewhere. He still has plenty of gas in the tank and while he may be on the decline, he can still help out a team in need.

After some rumors early in the day, it was announced that Rivers would be signing with the Indianapolis Colts. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the deal is worth $25 million and will only last for one season. This gives Rivers a nice trial period with the team and if things don't go well, both sides can move on as if nothing happened.

Long time Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is reportedly taking his talents to the AFC South, following his 16-year run on the West Coast. According to NFL insider Matt Miller, a source close to the situation claims that Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts is "all but done."

Long time Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is parting ways with the franchise that he spent his first 16 NFL seasons with, and there will be several teams interested in the veteran gunslinger once free agency officially opens next month. Among them, the Indianapolis Colts, a team that Rivers' former teammate, running back Melvin Gordon, views as the best fit.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

During an interview with CBS Sports on Monday morning, Gordon explained:

"I think he'll go to the Colts. I don't know, that's just my thought. He has Nick (Sirianni) there, the (OC), he came from here. They run the same playbook, so it'd be easy, he could come right in....That's probably the best fit."

As mentioned by Gordon, Nick Sirianni, who spent five seasons alongside Rivers as a member of the Chargers, is the current offensive coordinator for the Colts. Furthermore, Rivers has some familiarity with Colts head coach Frank Reich as well. Reich spent three seasons with the Chargers from 2013-2015, including a season as a quarterback coach and two as the offensive coordinator.

Yesterday, it was revealed that the Los Angeles Chargers and Philip Rivers would be parting ways after a 16-year partnership. Rivers has been the backbone of that franchise for a long time although it's clear the two would be better off apart. At 38 years old, Rivers still has some gas left in the tank and will be entering free agency where he hopes to become a starter for a contending team.

In a recent interview, Rivers spoke on how much longer he hopes to play. Unsurprisingly, Rivers only wants to play for a few more years as he realizes his play will continue to decline. Regardless, he hopes to play well enough to earn himself a second season with whichever team he signs to.

Philip Rivers was a fixture of the Los Angeles Chargers for many years. When the team was in San Diego, there were various seasons where the team had a chance to go far in the playoffs and most of this was thanks to the Rivers' play. Now, Rivers is 38 years old and is nearing retirement. His statistics have been in decline over the last little while and it was becoming clear that the Chargers wanted to go in a different direction, albeit in a respectful way.

For the last few weeks, there have been rumblings that the Chargers and Rivers would be parting ways and today, those reports became a reality. In a statement on Twitter, the Chargers revealed that Rivers would be heading to free agency.