How much Phillip Rivers is making during his brief Colts return

While the brief return of Philip Rivers is clearly about more than a paycheck, he is nonetheless being financially compensated during his NFL comeback with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Rivers, who made $244 million during his first 17 seasons in the NFL, is making a prorated veteran minimum of $278,889 for the final weeks of the 2025 season. Rivers' return also restarted his five-year NFL heath insurance coverage. Not a bad deal for a 44-year-old father of 10 and grandfather of one who had not played a down of professional football in nearly five years. 

Rivers has a chance to further cash in on his comeback if he can lead the Colts to the playoffs. Players on wildcard teams receive $49,500, while players on division championship teams will earn an additional $54,500, which is the same amount players receive if their teams advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. 

Players whose teams reach the conference championship receive an additional $77,000. The Super Bowl runner-up earns $96,000, and players on the team that wins Super Bowl LX will rake in $171,000. 

As noted above, Rivers' return to the gridiron is not financially motivated. A high school football coach since his initial retirement from the NFL, Rivers hopes that his comeback can serve as inspiration. 

"There is doubt, and it's real," Rivers said following the Colts' Week 15 loss to Seattle. "The guaranteed safe bet is to go home or to not go for it, and the other one is, 'Shoot, let's see what happens.' I hope in that sense that can be a positive to some young boys, or young people."

Given the circumstances, Rivers' season debut was largely a success. He went 18 of 27 for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Colts nearly upset the Seahawks in Seattle. Rivers also came away from the game largely unscathed. 

Rivers hopes to push the ball downfield more on on Monday night against a San Francisco 49ers team that -- like the Colts -- is fighting for playoff spot. 

"I don't feel any really limitations pushing the ball down the field," he said. "Am I gonna throw it 60 yards? No, but I can't name many times I ever did that anyway. But if you get it out on time in the things that we can do, I don't think that there's like, 'Oh, we can't call this, or we can't call that.' It'll be a solid plan that the staff puts together and and we'll have a great week of practice and go out and execute."