Story byJon Heath, Broncos WireMon, January 19, 2026 at 8:40 PM UTC·4 min readAfter losing quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending injury in December, the Indianapolis Colts brought a 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement in an effort to save their playoff hopes. Indy went 0-3 with Rivers as a starter and missed the postseason, but the veteran QB put in a respectable showing, completing 63% of his passes for 544 yards with four touchdowns against three interceptions. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, just over a month after the Colts lost Jones, the Denver Broncos have lost Bo Nix to a season-ending ankle injury. Rivers is not an option for Denver because he ended the season on Indy's roster, which means he won't be eligible to become a free agent again until March. The Broncos also couldn't pursue Derek Carr, 34, because he's on the New Orleans Saints' reserve/retired list, and other QBs who ended the year on active rosters, including Aaron Rodgers, 42, and Russell Wilson, 37, (ha!), aren't eligible to join clubs as free agents until March. And the most notable big name — Tom Brady (48) — is not eligible to play because he's a co-owner of an NFL team (the Las Vegas Raiders). And the list of free agents still available is very underwhelming. So, who could Denver bring in?