Seahawks’ stout defense preparing for Colts’ 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks might not find out until Sunday whether Philip Rivers will take his first NFL snaps since 2020.

Seattle (10-3) and its sixth-ranked overall defense is preparing as if the eight-time Pro Bowler and 44-year-old grandfather could be under center for the reeling Indianapolis Colts.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said t was only a matter of time until “something crazy” happened in the NFL this season. Rivers signing with Indianapolis (8-5) sure seems to fit the bill.

“If anybody can pull it off, it’s him,” Macdonald said. “Guy is probably one of the best competitors in the history of the NFL, and I’m sure he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t feel like he was ready. We’re getting ready for him like he’s been playing the whole time.”

Those preparations, though, have been atypical so far. Seattle defensive lineman Leonard Williams said the team has studied film of Rivers from his days with the Chargers, the franchise with which he spent the first 16 of his 17 NFL seasons before retiring after a swan song year with the Colts.

Williams, 31, who himself has spent 11 seasons in the league, marveled at Rivers’ willingness to return.

“I feel like if I were retired that long, it would be hard to come back into the NFL,” Williams said. “Either way, I feel like we always focus on ourselves, regardless of who is playing. We want to rush and get to the quarterback, regardless of who the quarterback is.”

And to Williams’ point, it is no guarantee Rivers will even see the field, even though starter Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon injury in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville and rookie backup Riley Leonard also injured his right knee during the game.

Veteran Brett Rypien was activated from the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday, and coach Shane Steichen could very well elect to start him over Rivers.

Even so, the notion of Rivers, who spent the past five years in Fairhope, Alabama, coaching St. Michael Catholic High School’s football team, returning to NFL game competition after so many years away from the game is quite impressive.

“Daggum it, he’s a good player,” Kupp said. “Shoot, it’s Philip Rivers. His resume speaks for itself. Yeah, it’s going to be real cool to be out there and on the field with a future Hall of Famer.”

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher, will have a tall task when he goes up against the fourth-ranked rushing defense in the league.

The Seahawks have not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season — or in 22 straight games. The last time a running back rushed for over 100 yards in a game against Seattle was Buffalo's James Cook on Oct. 27, 2024.

“I think that’s a big deal,” Williams said of the feat. “I talk about it every week, that it allows us to operate the way we want to as a defense when we’re able to stop the run. If we allow offenses to run the ball, we’re putting the keys in their hands and obviously we don’t want that. Our defensive line takes pride in stopping the run.”

The Colts won’t just be without Jones. Right tackle Braden Smith is in the concussion protocol and cornerback Charvarius Ward was placed on injured reserve for the second time in two months with a concussion, likely ending his season.

In fact, Ward said he considered retirement the last time he was in the protocol.

“I think it’s always concerning when you have that many concussions,” Steichen said Monday. “We’ll work through it with him, and we’ll go from there.”

All these recent injuries have left Steichen hungry to find something to satiate the Colts' appetite for winning.

Steichen told reporters Wednesday that just the presence of Rivers will add some excitement to the locker room, and that’s not the only way he expects to find a jolt of energy. He made a late change to Wednesday’s practice schedule, too.

“I think the biggest thing is I want to get some juice going this week, for sure,” Steichen said. “And then obviously it also helped with Philip, too. Being in here, too, getting some reps.”

The Seahawks announced Wednesday that running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu is taking a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. Run game specialist Justin Outten and offensive Michael Byrne will fill in for Polamalu in the interim. Polamalu will be on leave of absence for the rest of the season, Macdonald said.

“The guys are going to step up and Michael Byrne and Justin Outten will take over this room and do a great job,” Macdonald said. “Excited for the opportunity those guys have.”

AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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FILE - Former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers watches warmups before an NFL football game between the Chargers and the Denver Broncos, Dec. 10, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

REMOVES ZACH CHARBONNET - Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) and defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrate after an interception by Jones during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/ Lindsey Wasson)

FILE - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Sherrone Moore’s rise was stirring, a rugged lineman at Oklahoma who climbed the ranks to lead Michigan, the winningest program in college football, and a rare Black head coach at the top of the sport.

“If you work your tail off, dreams can come true,” Moore said when he was hired nearly two years ago.

His downfall has been stunning.

The 39-year-old Moore was fired and arrested in a matter of hours Wednesday, and remained jailed a day ahead of an expected arraignment Friday as police investigate an alleged assault. His firing was related to what the school called an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Moore has been through a lot in his career, especially with the Wolverines. From being a late-bloomer on the field to a top coach in the sport, Moore's journey has been at times inspiring while peppered with scandal.

Moore is married with three young daughters. He is from Derby, Kansas, and didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. Moore played for Butler County Community College in Kansas and was an offensive lineman for coach Bob Stoops at Oklahoma during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Moore’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Louisville in 2009 before moving on in 2014 to Central Michigan, where he caught then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s attention. Harbaugh hired him in 2018 as tight ends coach for the Wolverines.

Moore was promoted to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2021, when the Wolverines bounced back from a 2-4, pandemic-shortened season and began a three-year run of excellence that culminated in the school’s first national title in 26 years.

He was well-liked by players, who appreciated how often he smiled and engaged them in conversations about football and life.

“He is a dynamic, fierce and competitive individual who gets the best out of the players he mentors," athletic director Warde Manuel said when he hired Moore. "The players love playing for him and being with him in the building every day.”

Moore made the most of his first opportunity to lead the Wolverines, going 4-0, including a win over rival Ohio State, during the 2023 national championship season while Harbaugh served two suspensions for rules violations.

That helped to put him in a position to be promoted when Harbaugh returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2024.

“The only person I would want to do the job,” Harbaugh wrote in a text message that month. “I have 100% conviction that he will make us all very proud!!!”

Players on the team at the time, including former running back Donovan Edwards, privately lobbied Manuel to hire Moore.

“If anybody deserves it, it’s him," Edwards said then.

Moore was punished twice by the NCAA for rules violations. He was suspended for two games this year as part of self-imposed sanctions for NCAA violations related to the school's high-profile sign-stealing scandal. The NCAA added a third game to the suspension, which would have kept Moore off the sideline for next season's opener against Western Michigan.

Moore previously deleted an entire 52-message text thread with former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, who was at the center of the team’s sign-stealing operation. The texts were later recovered and shared with the NCAA.

Moore also served a one-game suspension in 2023 due to recruiting infractions.

His debut season in 2024 got off to a rough start before rallying to win the last three games, including against the second-ranked Buckeyes and 11th-ranked Alabama in a bowl, to finish 8-5 overall and 5-4 in conference. His biggest win might have been landing heralded quarterback Bryce Underwood, one of the top recruits in the country.

Moore led the Wolverines to a 9-3 record this year, including a 7-2 mark in the Big Ten. They finished the regular season ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 with a Citrus Bowl bid against No. 14 Texas on Dec. 31. The program's four-game winning streak against archival and defending national champion Ohio State came to an end.

Moore signed a five-year contract with a starting base salary of $5.5 million last year. According to the terms of his deal, the university will not have to buy out the remaining years of his contract because he was fired for cause.

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FILE - Michigan coach Sherrone Moore walks off the field following an NCAA football game on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

FILE - Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, left, and coach Jim Harbaugh watch the team's play against Indiana during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

FILE - Michigan acting head coach Sherrone Moore celebrates a 24-15 win over Penn State following an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

FILE - Michigan acting head coach Sherrone Moore reacts to a video replay during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)