Philip Rivers caused quite a stir when he returned to the NFL in December 2025 as a 44-year-old grandpa.
The Indianapolis Colts, plagued by injuries and with limited options, called up their former quarterback to try to salvage a season that started red-hot. Rivers spent the majority of his NFL career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, but signed with the Colts in 2020 and played one full season before retiring after a playoff loss in January 2021.
By lacing his cleats back up in late 2025, he delayed his potential Hall of Fame induction. There’s a rule that states players must be retired for at least five seasons to be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Another clock reset as soon as he was added to the Colts’ active roster: Rivers extended his NFL-sponsored health insurance, which was set to expire in 2026, by another five years.
This benefit emerged from the 2006 NFL-NFLPA agreement, which stipulates that players who are on any NFL roster for three or more seasons are entitled to five years of health insurance after retirement.
It’s particularly advantageous to Rivers, a father of 10. Each of his kids is under the age of 26, making them each eligible as dependents. His wife, Tiffany, is also eligible.
As for the actual medical plan, here are some highlights of his benefits, as outlined in The NFL Player Insurance Plan published in 2020.
NFL Player Insurance Plan
Health insurance plans vary tremendously from company to company, and also from plan to plan within the same company. I decided to see how the NFL plan stacks up to the High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) I’m enrolled in. Compare it to yours if you’re curious.
Annual deductible. This is the amount you pay each year before insurance starts covering most costs.
NFL plan: $850 per person / $1,700 per family
My HDHP: $3,000 per person / $6,000 per family
While an NFL player only has to spend $850 on covered care before insurance kicks in, I’d have to spend $3,000 out-of-pocket before coverage begins. Note that my plan literally has “high deductible” in its name, but the tradeoffs for high upfront costs include a lower premium and access to a tax-advantaged savings account called an HSA.
Out-of-pocket maximum. This is the most you have to pay in a year for covered health care, after which the insurance plan pays 100% of covered costs for the rest of that plan year.
NFL plan: $2,000 per person / $5,000 per family
My HDHP: $6,000 per person / $12,000 per family
With a cap of $2,000 per person, an NFL player’s worst-case medical year is fairly limited, whereas I’d be on the hook for $6,000. Of course, I’m taking fewer hits working behind a desk rather than behind an offensive line.
Premium. This is the fixed amount you pay regularly — usually every month — to keep your health insurance active.
NFL plan: $0/month. According to the 2020 NFL Player Insurance Plan, “The Clubs fund the NFL Player Trust that pays for the benefits provided and insurance premiums owed under the Plan.”
My HDHP: I also pay $0. Again, the tradeoff is the higher deductible.
For Rivers, returning to the Colts didn’t just mean another hefty paycheck; it meant access to a strong health plan with low deductibles, capped out-of-pocket costs, and broad medical coverage.
The Colts are officially out of the playoffs, and he’ll be sitting out during Week 18. If he retires for good this year, he and his family don’t have to worry about shopping around for insurance until 2031.
