Head coach Shane Steichen has confirmed what was previously reported.
Via multiple reporters, Steichen said in his Wednesday press conference that Riley Leonard will start at quarterback for the Colts on Sunday against the Texans, ending a surprising, remarkable run from 44-year-old QB Philip Rivers.
It will be Leonard’s first start of his rookie campaign. Leonard has appeared in four games this year, completing 18-of-33 passes for 145 yards with two interceptions.
Steichen noted Rivers will stick around this week, though Seth Henigan is likely to be Indianapolis’ backup QB.
Additionally, Anthony Richardson will not be activated off of injured reserve, with Steichen noting that Richardson still has vision limitations after suffering an orbital fracture midseason. Richardson has been back at practice recently, but is not ready for game action.
After starting Philip Rivers at quarterback for three games, the Colts are reportedly turning to rookie Riley Leonard to start the last game of the season against the Texans on Sunday.
The move does not come as a surprise, as Indianapolis was eliminated from postseason contention with the results of Week 17.
Rivers got to know Leonard before the 44-year-old grandfather came out of retirement, as Leonard previously trained with Rivers during two offseasons. With Leonard starting in Week 18 a predictable development, Rivers was asked about Leonard during his postgame press conference on Sunday.
“Riley is a pro,” Rivers said. “Riley is going to work at it hard, and obviously I don’t want to put a ceiling on anything that he can do, and certainly will always continue to pull for him.
“But I said before he ever got drafted, or even early on when he was at Notre Dame, when I got to be with him and some of his guys, I was like, ‘He’s going to be a double-digit guy in the NFL.’ To what extent that is, who knows, right? Is he a starter? He’s one of those guys that is talented enough throwing it, and he’s obviously athletic enough to run around and he’s going to work at it because he cares enough about it that he’s going to be around somewhere for a long time.”
Leonard, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, has appeared in four games so far as a rookie. He’s completed 18-of-33 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Philip Rivers’ run with the Colts has come to an end.
According to a report from ESPN, rookie Riley Leonard will start at quarterback for Indianapolis in the team’s season finale against Houston on Sunday.
Rivers, 44, started the last three games for the Colts after surprisingly coming out of retirement. But the Colts have gone 0-3 in that span and were officially eliminated from the postseason with the Texans’ victory over the Chargers on Saturday.
In his three starts, Rivers completed 63 percent of his passes for 544 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Leonard, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Notre Dame, has appeared in four games this year, completing 18-of-33 passes for 145 yards with two interceptions.
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, is still on injured reserve as he recovers from an orbital fracture suffered midway through the season in a pregame accident.
The Texans clinched a playoff berth in Week 17, but they remain in play for the AFC South title. Thus, coach DeMeco Ryans said he has no plans to rest his starters for the regular-season finale against the Colts on Sunday.
“We still have an opportunity to win our division,” Ryans said Monday, via Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s always the goal each and every year — to win the division. We know we need help from the Titans to be able to do that, so we’re going and playing our guys.”
The Texans need the Titans to beat the Jaguars, which, considering Tennessee’s 3-13 record, seems unlikely. But stranger things have happened, so the Texans aren’t conceding the division.
Houston has won the past two AFC South titles.
The Texans currently sit as the No. 5 seed, which would send Houston to the AFC North winner (Pittsburgh or Baltimore) in the wild-card round.
Cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter (knee and foot) and Derek Stingley Jr. (oblique) and offensive tackles Aireontae Ersery (thumb) and Trent Brown (ankle/knee) are banged up. But Ryans said if they are healthy enough, they will play.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud will start.
The Texans activated wide receiver Justin Watson from injured reserve on Monday, the team announced.
Watson went on injured reserve Sept. 17 after injuring a calf muscle/Achilles’ tendon in the Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. He returned to practice Dec. 10.
Watson, a former fifth-round pick of the Bucs, has three catches for 30 yards on four targets in two games.
The team waived defensive lineman Solomon Byrd in a corresponding move.
Byrd signed to the active roster from the practice squad on Dec. 3, but he has not played in a regular-season game this season. His only action came in 2024 when he played 20 defensive snaps and one special teams snap in one game.
