Philip Rivers Has Exposed a Loophole to Swindle the NFL Out Of Insurance Money
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers isn’t just making an extra buck in what is likely a short-lived return to the NFL.
After losing starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the season with a torn Achilles, the Colts convinced Philip Rivers to come out of retirement. The eight-time Pro Bowler last played in Jan. 2021, a WIld Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Rivers made his improbable return on Sunday, throwing for 120 yards and a touchdown in a close 18-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Even if Rivers’ final three games don’t go so well? It won’t be all for naught, at least from the Rivers family perspective.
Per Jordy Fee-Platt of The Athletic, Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL means five additional years of health insurance coverage for his family. Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, have 10 children:
“As part of a 2006 agreement brokered by the NFL Players Association, players who are on a roster for three seasons receive health insurance for five seasons after retirement. During those five years, retired players are eligible to obtain health and dental insurance for two adults and their qualifying children. Rivers was set to lose those privileges in August…
The 44-year-old and his wife, Tiffany, have 10 children. They are all eligible for the NFL’s insurance plan as dependents until they turn 26. Rivers’ eldest child, Halle, is 23, so she can receive coverage for three more years.”
So, who cares if Philip Rivers is showing his age and looking like a grandfather on the field? His family is covered through health insurance for the next little while. That alone is worth than retiring from football on a high note.
Rivers & Colts Need A Lot Of Help To Make The Playoffs
Philip Rivers’ Colts are 8-6, having lost four straight games. They’ll have to win out to keep their slim playoff chances alive. That’s easier said than done with the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans on the schedule.
Winning out would get Indianapolis to 11-6. The easiest path would be for Houston (the No. 7 seed) to drop two of its final three games. That would put Houston at 10-7. It’s not out of the question, with a road game against the 10-4 Los Angeles Chargers on the schedule in Week 17.
But the Colts can’t control the out-of-town scoreboard. They have to stay focused on their own games. The other game results don’t matter if Indy doesn’t win out.
“As part of a 2006 agreement brokered by the NFL Players Association, players who are on a roster for three seasons receive health insurance for five seasons after retirement. During those five years, retired players are eligible to obtain health and dental insurance for two adults and their qualifying children. Rivers was set to lose those privileges in August.
