While the news of Philip Rivers working out for the Colts came out of nowhere, it could also be good news for Ben Roethlisberger. See, Rivers’ potential return to the NFL could aid Roethlisberger in entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Rivers retired one year earlier than Roethlisberger, but the Hall of Fame has made it harder to reach enshrinement status.
In other words, if Philip Rivers didn’t go in on the first ballot, he would help create a logjam with Ben Roethlisberger the following season. And the two could earn competing votes that end up hurting both of their enshrinement bids.
But Roethlisberger wouldn’t have to worry about it if Rivers were to actually play again. If he plays—for the Colts, or anybody else—his Hall of Fame clock resets. A player must be retired for five seasons before he is eligible. If he signs to a 53-man roster, it resets—but not if he signs only to a practice squad.
As it stands, Rivers is one of 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. Odds are he makes the cut down to 15, from which group the final class is voted upon. Were he to relinquish his eligibility by playing, he would not be eligible again until 2031. Roethlisberger’s first year of eligibility is for the class of 2027.
The Colts are reportedly bringing in Rivers—who turned 44 yesterday— for a workout after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury. They are without a viable quarterback option, and the trade deadline has already passed. Reportedly, Rivers isn’t even sure he wants to play, so there’s a long way to go before this goes anywhere.
But the Colts are trying to salvage their season, currently 8-5 and one game behind the Jaguars in the AFC South. They are positioned as the eighth seed right now, which doesn’t buy a postseason berth. But if somebody like Rivers could step in and give them a chance, that’s all they can ask for.
One might argue that Rivers might not have been a first-ballot Hall of Fame player under the old voting rules. I don’t know if even Ben Roethlisberger is a first-ballot Hall of Famer under the new rules. And that is even more complicated if there is a logjam at quarterback. Did I mention Drew Brees will be eligible, too?
In previous years, the voters trimmed a list of 15 finalists down to 10, then to five. They then voted individually on the five remaining candidates, who needed 80 percent to get in. Now, they cut the group from 15 to seven and vote for their top five, still needing 80 percent.
When voting for fewer slots than options, it’s very difficult for more than three to get the requisite number of votes. And we saw that in the class of 2025, which included just three modern candidates. No first-ballot players made it, including Luke Kuechly and Eli Manning. Would Rivers make it? Would Roethlisberger? Would both of them being eligible in the same class hurt both of their chances by splitting votes?
