Colts inflict the worst possible blow on Chargers supporters on the player’s birthday

admin | December 9, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Philip Rivers is without a doubt one of the greatest players in Chargers history.

Rivers has set nearly every passing record in franchise history (which Justin Herbert is attempting to break) and has played at a high level for over a decade.

Rivers, like many other all-time greats, did not spend his entire career with the Chargers. Rivers played his final season in the NFL in 2020 with the Indianapolis Colts, after spending 16 years with the Chargers (14 of which he started). He made one more playoff appearance before being eliminated by the Buffalo Bills.

Chargers fans like to forget about Rivers’ brief tenure with the team. On Friday, however, that was impossible because it was Rivers’ 42nd birthday, and both of his former teams wished him a happy birthday on social media.

The Chargers posted a collection of Rivers’ best mic’d up moments in powder blue, while the Colts took a different (but still similar) approach. The Colts’ social media team did more than just post Philip Rivers’ mic’d up highlights; they also drew parallels between Rivers and the team’s current head coach, Shane Steichen.

We missed having Phil on our sideline.

So we found him in coach form. pic.twitter.com/tjIkI3fcbU

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 8, 2023

Colts break Chargers fans’ hearts on Philip Rivers’ birthday

For Chargers fans, this feels like a dagger to the heart in two ways. The obvious pain is felt whenever there are highlights of Rivers in a Colts jersey. It doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t look right, and every Bolts fan wants to forget about it.

The Steichen comparison, however, is the icing on the cake that makes this so painful. Steichen is not like Rivers by chance. He first coached Rivers with the Chargers in 2014, when he was hired as an assistant coach.

Steichen gradually rose through the ranks of the Chargers, eventually becoming the team’s offensive coordinator in 2020. Unfortunately, when the Chargers fired Anthony Lynn and his staff following the 2020 season, Steichen was among those who were let go. It didn’t take long for him to be hired as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Steichen served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for two seasons before being hired as the Colts’ head coach prior to the 2023 season. Steichen is now the overwhelming favorite for coach of the year, as he has the Colts in a playoff spot despite Anthony Richardson’s season-ending injury.

While most Chargers fans despise their head coach, the Colts have a head coach who is similar to Rivers and has been one of the best coaches in the league. That is how pain is defined.