Philip Rivers is back. Like actually back in the NFL. Hold on, not sure if I'm saying this right. Philip Rivers, who’s been retired since 2021, is back playing in the National Football League, after signing on to the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad on Tuesday... at 44 years young.
The Colts dragged him out of the nursing home after Daniel Jones suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday. This could go down as the most blatant tell me you're desperate without telling me you're desperate moment the league has ever seen.
Former New York Giants legend Jason Pierre-Paul is also back in the league for the first time since 2023, signing on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a postseason run. Apparently, being old is in these days. It'll make Giants fans want to call up Lawrence Taylor to see if the 66-year-old wants to dust off the cobwebs on old No. 56 again.
In all seriousness, it's crazy. 2025 continues to surprise all of us in ways we never thought possible. But with the oldheads returning to the gridiron, it does present a fun opportunity to think about which Big Blue legends fans would love to see pull a Rivers and come out of retirement to don the Giants blue one more time.
5 former Giants we'd love to see go full Philip Rivers and return to East Rutherford
1. WR Victor Cruz
We're gonna need some chips for all this salsa. We'll kick things off with Victor Cruz, whose underdog story captured Big Blue Nation's heart. Sure, he was electric on the field, but I'm dragging the 39-year-old out of retirement for the vibes.
Rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo have brought a different energy to the team with their headbutts and playstyle, so just imagine how incredible it'd be to have an all-time good-times vet with them, along for the ride. Cruz's 4,549 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns would just be icing on the cake.
2. WR Amani Toomer
We go from all-time vibes guy to the Giants' all-time receiving leader: Amani Toomer. Toomer played all 13 of his professional seasons in East Rutherford, claiming the top spot in receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions.
Dart can't have too many weapons. Just look at how 2025 has unfolded. If anything, the 51-year-old might actually be an improvement over players like Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins. He might've lost a step, but you can't teach his 6-foot-3 size. He'd instantly become the team's biggest WR target.
Also, it'd be cool to get him 503 more yards to eclipse 10,000 receiving yards for his career.
3. OL David Diehl
You simply can't convince me that it wouldn't be objectively awesome for David Diehl to return to the offensive line -- even in a depth capacity. His nickname was "Mr. Giant." How am I supposed to sit here and leave Mr. Giant out in the cold? I won't do it.
Diehl was the ultimate Giant and fan favorite. He was truly one-of-one, putting the team before personal interests all the time. Wherever NY needed him to play, he'd step up and do it with a smile. He's the ultimate teammate. The 45-year-old is on the University of Memphis' coaching staff as the assistant offensive line coach, so you know he's still got a lot of juice left in the tank.
I'm also convinced he'd just be a better option than Jon Runyan anyway. So, there's that too.
4. SAF Antrel Rolle
Let the good times Rolle. Somebody get the 42-year-old on the phone and tell him to gear up. Rolle holds a very special place in Giants history. In five seasons, he earned two Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro Second-Team honors, and helped win a Super Bowl against the New England Patriots in arguably the second biggest upset in Super Bowl history.
But all of that pales in comparison to his mentality. Rolle is an all-time attitude guy. Even before the Super Bowl win, he was telling the media the Giants were going to win. During media day, he literally told reporters, "We are going to win this thing." And they did.
His confidence alone makes him a necessity. Aside from maybe Dart, there's an overwhelming lack of confidence in the team, which is a shame. Imagine if the 2025 Giants had a quarter of the confidence the 2011-12 Giants had. They'd be a sneaky playoff contender.
5. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
There might not be another player on this list who's closer to the Rivers situation than Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Rivers has 10 children he's leaving to come play football, and while that's hard to match, DRC has 14. That's a classroom.
So, if there's anyone who understands needing to take a breather, it's the former standout cornerback. Joking aside, the Giants could use a corner like DRC. Paulson Adebo appears to be a $54 million waste. Deonte Banks is a bust. And Cor'Dale Flott projects as a very-good-not-great CB2.
The G-Men need a dawg. And the 39-year-old might still have some bark left in him.