Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had some comments regarding Philip Rivers' longevity ahead of the Steelers' Week 16 matchup with Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts.

When asked how hard it was to outsmart a veteran signal-caller like Rivers, the All-Pro free safety pointed to Rivers' status as one of the more tenured quarterbacks in the NFL:

“It's very hard,” Fitzpatrick said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor. “He's been in the league almost longer than I've been alive. It's crazy.”

Indeed, Rivers is in Year 17, but his first as a member of the Colts.

The 39-year-old has had a strong year in Indy, leading the Colts to a 10-4 mark while throwing for over 3,700 yards and 22 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Rivers has been especially excellent in the last three weeks, throwing six combined touchdowns against zero interceptions and boasting a quarterback rating of 118.7 or better in all three games.

Then again, those performances came against weak defenses in Houston and Las Vegas. Fitzpatrick and the Steelers pose an altogether different test.

Pittsburgh's defense ranks second in scoring and total yards allowed while also leading the league in interceptions. Fitzpatrick himself has four interceptions, one of which he brought back for a touchdown. The 24-year-old also has nine passes defended, continuing to assert himself as the lynchpin of Pittsburgh's secondary.

Rivers and Fitzpatrick will be engaged in a chess match in a pivotal contest for both teams. The Steelers, losers of three straight, are suddenly struggling to maintain their grip on the AFC North. Indianapolis, meanwhile, is still trying to overtake the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.