Philip Rivers made the third start of his improbable comeback to the NFL on Sunday and it may have been the final one even though the Colts have one game left this season.
The Colts were eliminated from playoff contention when the Texans beat the Chargers on Saturday, but Rivers still got the start because he took all the first-team reps at quarterback in practice leading into Indy’s game against the Jaguars. The Colts could opt to go with rookie Riley Leonard — or Anthony Richardson, if he’s activated from injured reserve — in Week 18 and Rivers said after Sunday’s loss that he’s “gonna be on board to do what’s best for the guys.”
“If it’s the last one, it’s the last one,” Rivers said, via the team’s website. “I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo [in January 2021]. We’re walking up that tunnel and I was fine with it. And that one had tears, and those few days after it — and I was at peace with that being the last one. So certainly, if it is, I got three bonus games that I never saw coming and couldn’t be more thankful that I got the opportunity.”
Rivers was 17-of-30 for 147 yards, a touchdown and an interception on Sunday. He was 41-of-62 for 397 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in his first two starts, but the Colts lost all three games to become the sixth team since the AFL-NFL merger to miss the playoffs after a 7-1 start to a season.
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The Jaguars moved a step closer to winning the AFC South, holding off the Colts 23-17 on Sunday afternoon.
The Jaguars have won seven in a row to move to 12-4, while Indianapolis, which was eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, fell to 8-8 after a 7-1 start.
If the Jaguars beat the Titans next week, they win the division title. The Texans will win it with a win over the Colts, combined with a Jacksonville loss.
The Jacksonville defense held the Colts to 204 yards, including only 135 yards passing, and totaled two sacks and two turnovers. Antonio Johnson’s interception in the end zone on a final-play Hail Mary throw from Riley Leonard sealed it.
The Jaguars kept the Colts in it with two red-zone turnovers in the first half. Jakobi Meyers lost a fumble after the Jaguars reached the Indianapolis 17, and Germaine Pratt intercepted Trevor Lawrence in the end zone after the Jaguars reached the Indianapolis 16.
The Jaguars scored a touchdown and three field goals in the second half after trailing 10-7 at halftime and 17-14 late in the third quarter. They finished with 370 yards.
Lawrence ran for touchdowns of 4 and 6 yards and went 23-of-37 for 263 yards and an interception, with Parker Washington catching eight for 115. Travis Etienne had 17 carries for 76 yards.
Philip Rivers was 17-of-30 for 147 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Jonathan Taylor had 21 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers added rookie Tetairoa McMillan to their injury report with an illness on Sunday morning, but they won’t have to go without their top wide receiver against the Seahawks.
McMillan is active for their home game against the NFC West frontrunners. The first-round pick has 65 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.
The Panthers will win the NFC South on Sunday with a win and a Buccaneers loss to the Dolphins. If they don’t get that combination of results, the two teams will okay for the division crown in Week 18.
Seahawks at Panthers
Seahawks: WR Hunter Renfrow, S Demani Richardson, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte, TE James Mitchell, DT Tershawn Wharton
Panthers: QB Jalen Milroe, CB Coby Bryant, LB Jared Ivey, T Charles Cross, G Bryce Cabledue, OL Mason Richman, DL Brandon Pili
Steelers at Browns
Steelers: QB Will Howard, WR Calvin Austin, RB Kaleb Johnson, CB Brandin Echols, CB James Pierre, G Isaac Seumalo, EDGE T.J. Watt, DL Logan Lee
Browns: OL Jeremiah Byers, QB Dillon Gabriel, OL Kendrick Green, CB Myles Harden, DL Sam Kamara, TE David Njoku, WR Jamari Thrash
Patriots at Jets
Patriots: QB Tommy DeVito, WR Kayshon Boutte, OT Marcus Bryant, G Jared Wilson, NT Khyiris Tonga, LB Robert Spillane, LB Harold Landry
Jets: QB Tyrod Taylor, OL Marquis Hayes, WR Quentin Skinner, TE Mason Taylor, DL Mazi Smith, S Chris Smith
Saints at Titans
Saints: S Ugo Amadi, WR Mason Tipton, CB Rejzohn Wright, RB Alvin Kamara, G Cesar Ruiz, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT Bryan Bresee
Titans: S Jerrick Reed, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OL Garrett Dellinger, OL Drew Moss, DL Cam Horsley
Jaguars at Colts
Jaguars: CB Keith Taylor, RB Bhayshul Tuten, G Patrick Mekari, C Robert Hainsey, TE Hunter Long, DL Danny Striggow, DT Maason Smith
Colts: C Tanor Bortolini, RB Tyler Goodson, S Reuben Lowery, S George Odum, OL Dalton Tucker, DL JT Tuimoloau
Buccaneers at Dolphins
Buccaneers: QB Connor Bazelak, WR Sterling Shepard, S Rashad Wisdom, LB John Bullock, OT Tristan Wirfs, EDGE Anthony Nelson
Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, OL Kendall Lamm, C Aaron Brewer, LB Derrick McClendon
Cardinals at Bengals
Cardinals: S Budda Baker, OL Evan Brown, TE Pharaoh Brown, CB Kei’Trel Clark, K Joshua Karty, CB Kalen King, DL PJ Mustipher
Bengals: QB Jake Browning, WR Charlie Jones, CB Josh Newton, S PJ Jules, DE Joseph Ossai, TE Cam Grandy, DT Jordan Jefferson
The Jaguars added a starting offensive lineman to their injury report on Sunday morning.
Right tackle Anton Harrison is now listed as questionable to play against the Colts. Harrison is dealing with an illness.
Harrison has started all 13 games he has played this season and he’s started all 46 games he’s played since the Jaguars made him a first-round pick in 2023.
The Jaguars ruled out right guard Patrick Mekari on Friday’s injury report and center Robert Hainsey is listed as questionable to play with a groin injury, so they may have to do a lot of shuffling up front ahead of Sunday’s kickoff. Walker Little, Chuma Edoga, Wyatt Milum, and Jonah Monheim are bench options on the offensive line.
The Texans’ 20-16 win over the Chargers eliminated the Colts from playoff contention and made them the rare team to open a season 7-1 before failing to qualify for the postseason.
Only five other teams have suffered similar slides since the AFL-NFL merger and none of those teams have done it since the NFL moved to a 17-game season.
The Colts were able to get to 8-2, but they have lost their last five games heading into Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. That collapse means they have now gone five straight seasons without a playoff berth.
Their last trip to the postseason came after the 2020 season. That was Philip Rivers’ last full season in the NFL and the Colts coaxed the quarterback out of retirement a couple of weeks ago after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles. Rivers has played better than most people would have predicted, but the results haven’t changed and the Colts will be left to ponder what might have been.
They’ll also be left without their next two first-round picks to help shore up the roster. They sent both those selections to the Jets in a trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner and the first of those picks will be coming a lot earlier in the 2026 first round than originally anticipated as a result of the late season swoon in Indianapolis.
“Smaller market” or not, the Jaguars are hot right now.
They’ve won six straight games. It’s the second longest winning streak in team history. In 1999, the Jaguars won 11 in a row en route to a 14-2 season and the top seed in the AFC.
This time around, the Jaguars are averaging 34.2 points per game during the streak. It’s happening in large part because quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing the best football of his career.
During the winning streak, Lawrence has 19 total touchdowns and five turnovers. Since a four-turnover performance in the victory over the Cardinals, Lawrence has gone four games in a row with none.
They’ll play the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday, before finishing the season with a visit from the Titans.
The Colts are set to have cornerback Sauce Gardner back in their lineup on Sunday.
Head coach Shane Steichen said on Friday that the plan is for Gardner to play against the Jaguars. Gardner has missed the last three games with a calf injury.
Gardner has only appeared in three games for Indianapolis since being acquired from the Jets during the season. The Colts lost all three games he missed, which helped improve the first of the two first-round picks they sent to the Jets in the deal.
Steichen said that left tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow) is also expected to play, but defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will not play. He’s going back on injured reserve after aggravating a neck injury and he is set to have surgery.
Center Tanor Bortolini (concussion), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), tight end Drew Ogletree (neck), and defensive end JT Tuimoloau (oblique) will also miss this weekend’s game.
The Colts did not hold a practice on Thursday, but they say that cornerback Sauce Gardner would have returned to the field if they did.
Gardner has missed the last three games with a calf injury and he did not practice on Wednesday, but he is listed as a limited participant on their Christmas injury report.
Friday will bring a more concrete look at where Gardner stands in his recovery from the injury. They will issue injury designations for their game against the Jaguars after their final workout of the week.
The result of Saturday’s Texans game could also impact their decision about playing Gardner. If the Texans beat the Chargers, the Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention before they take the field on Sunday.
Sauce remained on the side at Colts practice on Wednesday.
The Colts listed cornerback Sauce Gardner as out of practice due to the calf injury that has kept him from playing in the last three games. The Colts noted that the team only held a walkthrough, so all participation levels are an estimation.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (neck) was also listed as out of practice. Buckner returned from injured reserve to play against the 49ers in Week 16.
The Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Center Tanor Bortolini (concussion), running back Tyler Goodson (ankle), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), tight end Drew Ogletree (neck), guard Dalton Tucker (shoulder), and defensive end JT Tuimoloau (oblique) were the other Colts out of practice. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow) and quarterback Anthony Richardson (eye) were the only players listed as limited participants.
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring), cornerback Jaylon Jones (knee), and safety Daniel Scott (knee) were listed as full participants.
With J.J. McCarthy out for at least this week, the Vikings have added some depth at quarterback to their 53-man roster.
Minnesota has claimed Brett Rypien off of waivers, the team announced on Tuesday.
Rypien was recently released by the Colts. He previously spent time with the Vikings in 2024 and was with the club through the offseason and training camp this year. He did not appear in a regular-season game for the Vikings.
In 11 appearances with four starts, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 950 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Vikings signing a quarterback to the 53-man roster suggests McCarthy may not be able to return for Week 18. But Minnesota has not announced a subsequent roster move with McCarthy after head coach Kevin O’Connell ruled him out for Thursday’s matchup with the Lions earlier in the day.
