PTI - How far can Philip Rivers lead the Colts?

Episode Date: December 9, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss Philip Rivers’s NFL return, the Eagles’ meltdown, and the recent MLB signings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. Philip Rivers is back with the Colts at the age of 44. Tony, what were you doing when you were 44?

I'm Tony Cornhizer, writing sports. I was following Seabiscuit. Okay, no one in our audience, under 80s. They don't know. Knows who Seabiscuit was. There's a great horse in the 1930s. It was a great horse. Great movie about Seabiscuit.

By the way, in truth, like when I was 44, this show hadn't even started yet. You know, I don't know. I got to this show very old, as I'm ancient now. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, the Colts signed, Philip Rivers. Cow Swarver stays and Edwin Diaz goes, and Jeff Saturday joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with last night's Monday night football game, a sloppy affair in which the Chargers outlasted the Eagles in overtime, 22 to 19,

when they intercepted Jalen Hertz near the end zone. Hertz had a particularly discouraging game with five turnovers, including two on one bizarre play. The Eagles have now lost three in a row, and the Chargers have won five out of six. Wilbon, what does this result say about each team? I'm going to start with the Chargers first, Tony. The Chargers are ready to challenge.

I don't know how seriously to contend, but the AFC, you know, there's no Kansas City up there being Godzilla sitting on the top of something, and then they don't have that. So I think they're maybe even ready to contend. And let me just say this about Justin Herbert. To have surgery in the same week and come out there and run it nine, ten times and put yourself in harm's way and have his teammates in love with him at the end of that game said all good things to me about the Chargers.

Now, the Eagles, they can still defend. They can sack you seven times. They can have seven tackles for losses. They can hit. They can cover. but offensively they're so confused like they've been over the last few weeks. Tony, I don't want to hear from A.J. Brown,

who drops a couple, who gets it off his fingertips and can't reel it in, throw it to me some more. No, catch the damn ball when it's thrown to you. We don't need to go to you 13 times. But the Eagles, Tony, they still control their division. They still do. That's right. Yeah, so that's the dichotomy with the Eagles.

The Eagles are in apparent trouble. Their offense has vanished. In the last five games, they have fewer touchdowns scored than every team in a league other than the Raiders. They only have eight touchdowns in the last five games. They only had one last night. They seem to be stuck in neutral. But they're in first place in the division.

And the team closest to them, the Cowboys, is a team that neither you nor I would have complete faith in. That's right. So they're in better shape than Kansas City, for example. They're in better shape. I mean, if I wanted to calm the water, I would point out that Matthew Stafford a couple of weeks ago had two interceptions and a loss fumble in a game that the Rams lost to Carolina

and then came back with three touchdown passes and no picks as they destroyed Arizona. Jalen Hertz could do that. But as you know, with your friends who are Eagles fans, and I know as my friends who are Eagles fans, they are panicked. And they are ready to throw Hertz off the train. They're ready to do that. I am somewhat confused by the Chargers, all praise to their quarterback who plays Hurts.

and begins to look like Josh Allen out there. But Mike, their 9-and-3 or 9-4 record is built against only one good win, really, against Denver. And here's what they've got coming up at Kansas City, at Dallas, home Houston, at Denver. That's tough. That's tough. That's tough. That's tough. Yeah, they're going to get – Johnny, we're going to know going into playoffs whether they're ready or not, based on, I think, in large part, the last four and last night, the last five games of the regular season. Yeah.

Let's move to this Colts. signing of Philip Rivers to the practice squad today, gives the team the option of promoting him to the real roster for Sunday's game at Seattle. The 44-year-old grandfather last played in the league in 2020 leading the Colts to an 11-5 record. They were good. With Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson now out

and rookie Riley Leonard, Notre Dame, questionable with that knee injury, Tony is signing Rivers, inspired or desperate? If those are my choices right now, I would say desperate, because he's 44 years old, because he last played in the NFL 1,800 days ago, right? That's his last snap, 1,800 days ago.

There was 2020. He was 39 years old then, which was old then, but he had a really good year, as you point out. Colts made the playoffs, and they were 11 and 5. If he can revive these Colts, then it would be inspired. But if we could, let's look at the really good quarterbacks in NFL history who were 44. But let's leave Tom Brady out because everybody knows about Tom Brady. So here is the list.

There is no list. There is no list. Right? And as you said before, he's a grandfather. I think that's important. I understand what's going on here. Shane Stuyke and the coach knows him from the Chargers. where when Philip Rivers played at the Chargers,

Stuyken had a series of offensive coaching jobs. He trusts them. They're good friends. I get that part. But, you know, it feels a little desperate to me. Nothing's as overrated in football as this notion that is choreographed. What? There is mayhem.

And in 44 years old, he is ill-equipped Philip Rivers, even though he's going to get a whole lot of Hall of Fame votes, legitimately, to deal with the mayhem going on around him. We know he understands the office. That's not the final objective. It's great, Tony. I've listened many times to our dear friend Charles Barkley. And Charles talks about retiring because your body's aching and it's hurt and you beat down

after years and years of competitiveness. And you then take a couple of seasons off and you work out and you lose some weight and you heal up, and you come back and you say, wow, I feel really good now, until the first time somebody knocks you out. And then you say, no, I can't do this. And it seems that Charles came to that realization, and Philip Rivers has not. He's going to come to it in Seattle. I just hope it's temporary and nothing more if that than the blue tent, not even that.

I'm going to tell you something. I feel bad for Daniel Jones, because he was going to be. to be a comeback player of the year. And now he's hurt on, you know, both legs are gone. And I feel badly for him. They haven't had a quarterback that they can trust, really, for any length of time since Andrew Lutz, a while back. Baseball's stove got hot in a hurry. Kyle Swarber's free agency is over already. The 32-year-old NL home run champ is reportedly returning to the Phillies for five years and $150 million. And closer Edwin Diaz is leaving the Mets for the Dodgers, three years, $69 million, as L.A. makes a run for its third straight

World Series title. Wilbon, which of these is the more impactful move? Oh, you're going to say my reaction is totally predictable, and it is. It's Schwaburber. For a million reasons, one, the contract, when I heard the numbers, I thought, oh my God, this is so team friendly. Team friendly.

You're getting a guy $30 million, okay? You can say that's a lot of money it is. But Schwabber goes out there between 155 and 162 games every year. There's no threat of Tommy John.

There's no D.L. There's no down. He's got to miss a turn. Schwerber's out there, and he's giving you 50 home runs plus this last season. The Phillies seem incredibly lucky to me. Wow. I would hope there were other teams out there tempting Schwerber,

particularly the one he grew up with, the team I root for, because I thought the Cubbies might have had a chance at him. Schwaber, Schwerber, Schwerber. Yeah, what I like about the show is when we have honest disagreements. The most impactful signing is Edwin Diaz. He has 253 saves in nine seasons so far. He's got a career ERA of 282.

The Dodgers have starters. They need relievers. They need to stop their starters from having to work in the bullpen. In game seven, Yamamoto threw 34 pitches against Toronto after in game six throwing 96 pitches against Toronto. They had Glasgow. They had Snell coming out of the bullpen. in the World Series. So they don't want that. This guy is the answer to all their problems.

He was six and three this year with a 163 ERA and 28 saves. He is what the doctor ordered, and he makes it a legitimate conversation that the Dodgers could go back to back to back. I mean, he's exactly what they mean. Schwabber is a great player. I wish that Schwabber had stayed with the nationals. He's a great player. And you hear me say this all the time to you, that 1-29 in the Phillies is the best everyday lineup, but they don't win. They don't win. Where is the greatest value of Babe Ruth and Shohay Atani? Where's the, is it on the rubber or is it like this?

No, you're right. It's every day. It's every day. And this dude hits 50 and he goes 160. Yes, and you're right about all of that, but they haven't won with him. And I think that the Dodgers, I think this is, if there is a missing piece, and I'm not sure there is. I think relief is the missing piece. Let's take a break coming up. We will ask Jeff Saturday what he thinks of the Colts signing Philip Rivers. We'll also ask him whether he wanted

the Bears like I did to run the damn ball on fourth and one. Run the ball. Run the ball. Run it. Huh? In the name of Sayers and Peyton, not run the ball. Run it. Run the table. In the name of Sayers and Peyton run the ball. Pardon the interruption is presented by Gray Goose. Make time wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of Happy Hour. We've got some football questions for our great friend ESPN NFL analyst Jeff Saturday. We'll start with this. You know the Colts well. What do you make of them signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers? Do you think he's their best option in these circumstances? Oh, desperate times, desperate measures. That's where we're at in Indyland. It's the most devastating thing of my week.

was watching Daniel Jones get hurt and fast forwarding to, you know, it's December, fast forwarding to next October thinking who was our quarterback going to be? Oh, it just hurt my heart. So at the end of the day, they are reaching, right? They're grasping at straws. I think Riley Leonard will still be the guy if his knee can hold up. I think they're signing Philip Rivers for an emergency. But listen, all bias.

I'm a fan of the Colt, so I am pulling for Philip if he starts or asks to play. but let me just say this. At Seahawks defense, he's real. And you're 44, bro. You, listen, get rid of the rock. Do not hold it. Don't double pump, and you ain't fast enough to get out of the pocket. Let that thing go, Phil.

Protect yourself at all costs. It could get ugly. We're going to go to my bears for a second and review that crucial fourth and one with 27 seconds left against the Packers. and the Bears electing to throw the ball. Jeff, I was screaming at the television, run the ball every down down there.

I'm suspecting that knowing you a little bit, you would have run the ball, given what the Bears did on the previous 17 play drive, I'm suspecting you would have run it too. Yeah, no, listen, offensive linemen, right? Like, we wear a defense out. We got them fatigued. We want this to happen.

We want to go run the rock. So there is no doubt. as an offensive lineman, you want the game put on your back at that moment, the biggest moments of the game, and you think you can go get this yard. All that being said, though, the truth is, it's there. Like, you know, the play is there. He has a shot to do it, which goes from, you know, converting a first down to a touchdown. You know, you can't have it both ways, right?

Unfortunately, the play doesn't get executed to maximum and there's a, you know, there's a pick. But, man, what a game. And again, man, this is why you can't have nice things, Mike, because you all fired up. You can't be happy with what they got going. And sometimes you got to go, no one expected us to be in that game, bro. I don't care what anybody said. They fought like crazy.

They've turned a corner, man. I'm excited for this Bears in the future. No, Jeff, this is the time I'm a little different. I was only in a bad move for a few minutes. I got out of it. They played a hell of a game. Toad the toe to toe with Green Bay in Lambo. Let me ask you about the Ravens for a second, who had what,

a lot of us thought was an apparent touchdown catch taken away. John Harbaugh called the current catch rule as clear as mud. You played the sport for a long, long time. Was that a catch to you? It's a catch. That was a catch to me. I mean, when I see him, got the ball out, extended, his feet are on the ground. Like, I don't understand what, you know.

I mean, you think if a guy is reaching across the line, if it touches, you know, barely gets across, it's a touchdown. This, to me, was just craziness. But again, it's such a difficult call now because you slow it down to like these micro, you know, it's like it to see this thing played out by film. Unfortunately, they reverse it, but I think that's a touchdown. And, you know, it's the most frustrating thing for a fan, but also for players and coaches. Because to his point, it is clear as mud. You have no idea what's going to be considered a touchdown or a catch or not as players.

You just want a simple rule that can be. followed by everybody the same every week. Just as an aside, in the last couple of weeks watching football, I have seen more touchdowns called back because of penalties than I ever have in my life. It seems that three times a game, it really does. It seems like it's three times a game. We'll get you out of here on this. You played at North Carolina in college.

That is, an ACC school. Notre Dame has a problem with how that conference boosted Miami at what they think is Notre Dame's expense, and I will add parenthetically so do I, and Mike does not. Do you have any problem with it? No. Listen, here's my thing. I understand Notre Dame's great, right? Like, they're one of the best 12 teams in the country and played, you know, one, 10 games in a row, I get it. But what the ACC did and what Jim'sville is what they're supposed to do. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is not the football version of an ACC. They need, the conference gets paid by Miami representing the ACC.

That's just the facts of it. And both can be true. You can say the Duke playing, you know, five lost, the tiebreaker to get them in it, messed it up. You can say a lot of different things. Give a lot of excuses. I have no problem with that. But the ACC did right by Miami, and they should have because that's what conferences

are supposed to do. Push their groups and make it happen. The truth, and we all know it is this. It shouldn't, the CFP should not be controlled by conference or anything else. Have the top 12 and let them go play. I don't care what conference. they're in, what it is. Top 12 in the country, let's go play

and let's go win a championship that way. All this alignment with conferences makes it all confusing and different agendas, get you craziness, and that's where we are today. Here, here. Yeah, it's a championship. Put the best teams in it. The best teams in it.

As always, Jeff, thank you. Appreciate it. Appreciate y'all. Let's take one last break still to come. The Heisman finalists are announced as Indiana's Fernando Mendoza-Alock. And Trey Hendrickson heads the surgery. Man, what does his future hold?

See, Mike, I don't blame the ACC for doing that. I blame the committee for consistently ranking Notre Dame ahead of Miami. And then at the last minute, flipping it. I can blame the committee for that. That's okay. Happy time, people. Happy 32nd birthday, Wyndham Clark. This hasn't been a good year for the 2023 U.S. Open winner.

He's probably happy. to be done with it. Clark had no wins in 2025, though he did have a T4 at the British Open at Royal Port Rush and a T5 at the Houston Open. But Clark was in the news more for a couple of temper tantrums. At the PGA, Clark threw his driver in disgust, damaging a sign. And after missing the cut at the U.S. Open at the U.S. Open at the U.S. Open at the U.S. Open win at Los Angeles Country Club. Clark has a win at the Wells Fargo in 2023 and at Pebble Beach in 2024. But this locker thing hangs over him still, so happy birthday. Yeah, I don't know if that apology was enough.

I mean, I guess we'll find out, and we'll find out about his behavior over time. I'm told we're neighbors in Arizona, Tom, but I don't see him. Maybe I should just take a cup of sugar, buy and say hello. Yeah, should do that or bring him a new driver in case he wants to throw in someplace. Happy anniversary, Tracy McGrady. On this day, 21 years ago, while with the Rockets, McGrady scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds to stun the defending NBA champion Spurs, making the last of four increasingly difficult three-pointers with just 1.7 seconds left to play. That comeback erased San Antonio's 10-point lead with less than a minute to play. Having scored just 10 points in the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter, the rocket scored 17 in the final minute.

McGrady was a great talent. He was a seven-time All-Star, but for the vast bulk of his career, before latching onto the Spurs as a role player just before he retired, McGrady had never made it to the second round of the playoffs. I take his shot to my man, Tracy McGrady. You know I love him. Tony, he and Yao Ming, if they could have stayed healthy, they won like 22 in a row or something one year. They were on to something, and they couldn't stay healthy. I'm not going to hold that against Team Mac or Yao. I wish they had had. We might have seen something really special out of both of them.

But we didn't. We didn't. In fact, I mean, it didn't happen. Happy Trails, Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals Star Pass Russia will have surgery on his core and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Hendrickson has missed the last five games and has only played in all or parts of seven this season, logging four sacks. That's a far cry from the 17 and a half he made last season. The 31-year-old held out for a trade or a long-term deal during the preseason, ultimately agreeing to a one-year-old.

agreeing to a one-year extension worth $30 million that allows him to become a free agent after the season. But now you have to wonder what the market will be for him, right? Yeah, you do, Tony. But remember, he also had 17 and a half the season before that. So he had done that back to back in this season. What a colossal disappointment. But for everything and almost everybody in Cincinnati, Hendrickson included. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. Let's do it. Leonel Messi won his second straight MLS MVP, you should apologize for all the times you've run him down.

No. The Heisman finalist, Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, Diego Pavia of Vandy, Jeremiah Love of Notre Dame, and Julian San of Ohio State. Does that make sense to you? They all had wonderful years.

Each one is worthy. I mean, I think Mendoza is probably the favorite, but each one is worthy. The Pelicans have lost seven straight. They're three and 22, the Pelicans. What's going on? We know what's going on. They're terrible. But Derek Queen, the rookie draft picked out of Maryland. If you passed on him and you know who you are, you're going to have to pack it up and go pretty soon. Four LSU offensive assistants will be allowed to join coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. back at Ole Miss for the playoff.

Your thoughts? My thoughts are the same now as they were a week ago, that Lane Kiffin should be allowed to coach that team. He should. Last one, Heat Magic and Knicks Raptors are on tonight, which is the more. intriguing game. I think Nick's Raptors, NBA Cup quarterfinals. You can't wait to jump with that, right? You can get your tickets. The NBA Cup. The only thing that's good about that is they change the color of the court. But the rest of it, who cares? We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Corrinaj. I'm Mike Wilbaugh. Same time tomorrow, no plans. Aren't you proud of me but not taking a shot at arrogant Notre Dame in this show?