Having run out of healthy quarterbacks, the Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers on Tuesday, though it’s been over 1,800 days since he’s thrown an NFL pass. Naturally, Rivers wasn’t the only quarterback Colts general manager Chris Ballard considered adding to the roster.
The team also worked out undrafted rookie Seth Henigan, who spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars organization before the season started. Yet, unlike Rivers, Henigan wasn’t offered a contract to join the practice squad.
However, the Colts did end up making a contract offer to another quarterback.
According to The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel, the Colts also tried to sign Sam Ehlinger to their active roster. Yet, Ehlinger, who’s on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad, opted to stay right where he is after two days of mulling over the offer from Indianapolis.
Ehlinger was originally the Colts’ sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he spent four seasons with the organization before latching on with the Broncos back in March. With Denver marching toward a potential No. 1 seed, it’s hard to blame Ehlinger for sticking with his comfort zone.
Still, Ehlinger may always wonder what could have happened had he chosen to go back to Indianapolis, where he likely would have been given an opportunity to be the primary backup to Rivers. Yet, with Brett Rypien also on the Colts’ roster, there’s no guarantee that Ehlinger would have been active on gameday in Indianapolis either.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where’s Shedeur Sanders?
