The Indianapolis Colts landed Philip Rivers in free agency on Tuesday, a move that was expected ever since the Los Angeles Chargers announced they would be parting ways with Rivers earlier this offseason.
Rivers will step in as the Colts' starting quarterback, supplanting Jacoby Brissett, who held the job all of one season after Andrew Luck's retirement before Indianapolis decided to go in another direction.
If the Colts are getting the good version of Rivers, then they are now the favorites to win the AFC South.
Of course, that is a pretty big qualifier, as Rivers was not all that good in 2019, throwing 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions during his final year with the Chargers and going just 5-11 in a season where Los Angeles was expected to contend for a Super Bowl.
I'm not sure what evidence there is to suggest that Rivers will have a huge bounceback season at 38 years old, but perhaps Rivers just needs a change of scenery, and maybe he can regain some of his 2018 form in Indianapolis?
It's not just about Rivers, either. The Colts are a talented group, with weapons ranging from Marlon Mack to T.Y. Hilton to Jack Doyle on offense, not to mention an improving defense that now includes stud defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
Not only that, but Indianapolis still has more money to spend, and it will probably end up adding another wide receiver at some point, whether that comes through free agency or the draft next month.
The Colts also have a superb offensive line, so Rivers should have ample time to throw, something he certainly did not have the luxury of behind that porous, injury-riddled offensive line in Los Angeles.
Plus, the Houston Texans, who won the division this past year and have won the AFC South crown in four of the last five seasons, were significantly weakened this week with the loss of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, whom the Texans shockingly traded to the Arizona Cardinals for a lackluster return.
That means Indianapolis's top competition is the Tennessee Titans, who won nine games in 2019 and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. But can we really expect Ryan Tannehill to replicate his surprising success? It seems doubtful.
There is always the Jacksonville Jaguars, who I like a lot because of their young and talented offense, but let's be honest: they are a work in progress, and their defense needs a whole lot of help.
This will be a very competitive decision, mainly because there is really no standout team. The Colts looked to be that club going into 2019, but Luck's sudden retirement changed things.
Can Rivers step in and spell Luck for 2020? It's a huge question mark because we don't know how Rivers will respond after having such a rough season, but, at the very least, he has a solid track record, and we know he is capable of putting up big numbers.
Indianapolis will be one of the biggest wild cards in the NFL going into next season, but it's hard to ignore the work the organization has already done this month.
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