| Indianapolis Colts | |||||||||||||
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 Current season | |||||||||||||
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| Basic info | |||||||||||||
| Established | January 23, 1953; 72 years ago (January 23, 1953)[1][2] | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||||||||||
| Headquartered | The Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Speed blue, white, facemask gray, anvil black[3][4][5] | ||||||||||||
| Mascot | Blue | ||||||||||||
| Website | colts | ||||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||||
| Owner(s) | Jim Irsay[6] | ||||||||||||
| CEO | Jim Irsay | ||||||||||||
| General manager | Chris Ballard | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Shane Steichen | ||||||||||||
| Team history | |||||||||||||
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| League / conference affiliations | |||||||||||||
National Football League (1953–present)
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| Championships | |||||||||||||
League championships: 4[a]
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| Conference championships: 7 | |||||||||||||
| Division championships: 16 | |||||||||||||
| Playoff appearances (29) | |||||||||||||
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TheIndianapolis Colts are a professionalAmerican football team based inIndianapolis. The Colts compete in theNational Football League (NFL) as a member of theAmerican Football Conference (AFC)South division. Since the2008 season, the Colts have played their games inLucas Oil Stadium. Previously, the team had played for over two decades (1984–2007) at theRCA Dome. Since 1987, the Colts have served as the host team for theNFL Scouting Combine.
The Colts have competed as a member club of the NFL since their founding inBaltimore, Maryland, in 1953, after then-ownerCarroll Rosenbloom purchased the assets of the NFL's last foundingOhio League memberDayton Triangles–Dallas Texans franchise. They were one of three NFL teams to join those of theAmerican Football League (AFL) to form the AFC, following the1970 merger. While in Baltimore, the team advanced to theplayoffs ten times and won threeNFL Championship games in1958,1959, and1968. The Baltimore Colts played in twoSuper Bowl games, losing to theNew York Jets inSuper Bowl III and defeating theDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl V. The Coltsrelocated to Indianapolis in 1984 and have since appeared in the playoffs sixteen times, won two conference championships, and played in twoSuper Bowl games; they defeated theChicago Bears inSuper Bowl XLI, and lost to theNew Orleans Saints inSuper Bowl XLIV (all four Super Bowls that the Colts have played in took place at the home stadium for theMiami Dolphins; while based in Baltimore, Super Bowls III and V were held at theOrange Bowl in Miami, and while based in Indianapolis, Super Bowls XLI and XLIV were at what is nowHard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens).
TheAll America Football Conference began play in the 1946 season. In its second year, the franchise assigned to theMiami Seahawks was relocated toMaryland's major commercial and manufacturing city ofBaltimore. After a fan contest, the team was renamed theBaltimore Colts and used the team colors of silver and green. The Colts played for the next three seasons in the oldAAFC until they agreed to merge with the oldNational Football League (of 1920–1922 to 1950) when the NFL was reorganized. TheBaltimore Colts were one of the three former AAFC powerhouse teams to merge with the NFL at that time, the others being theSan Francisco 49ers and theCleveland Browns. This Colts team, now in the "big league" ofprofessional American football for the first time, although with shaky financing and ownership, played only in the 1950 season of the NFL, and was later disbanded.
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In 1953, a newBaltimore-based group, heavily supported by the city's municipal government and with a large subscription-base of fan-purchased season tickets, led by local ownerCarroll Rosenbloom won the rights to a new Baltimore NFL franchise.[7][8]
Rosenbloom was awarded the remains of the formerDallas Texans team, who themselves had a long and winding history, with a small part of the franchise starting as theBoston Yanks in 1944, merging later with theBrooklyn Tigers, a franchise that had a far more deep and rich history, being previously known as the Dayton Triangles, one of the original old NFL teams established even before the League itself, in 1913. That team later became theNew York Yanks in 1950, and many of the players from theNew York Yankees of the former competingAll-America Football Conference (1946–49) were added to the team to begin playing in the newly merged League for the 1950 season. The Yanks then moved toDallas inTexas after the 1951 season having competed for two seasons, but played their final two "home" games of the 1952 season as a so-called "road team" at theRubber Bowl football stadium inAkron, Ohio.
The NFL considers the Texans and Colts to be separate teams, although many of the earlier teams shared the same colors of blue and white. Thus, the Indianapolis Colts are legally considered to be a 1953expansion team.
The current version of the Colts football team played their first season in Baltimore in1953, where the team compiled a 3–9 record under first-year head coachKeith Molesworth.[9] The franchise struggled during the first few years in Baltimore, with the team not achieving their first winning record until the1957 season.[8]
However, under head coachWeeb Ewbank and the leadership of quarterbackJohnny Unitas, the Colts went on to a 9–3 record during the1958 season and reached theNFL Championship Game for the first time by winning theNFL Western Conference.[10][11] The Colts faced theNew York Giants in the1958 NFL Championship Game, which is considered to be among the greatest contests in professional football history.[12] The Colts defeated the Giants 23–17 in the first game to utilize the overtime rule, a game seen by 45 million persons.[13]
Following the Colts first NFL championship, the team posted a 9–3 record during the1959 season and once again defeated the Giants in theNFL Championship Game to claim their second title.[8]
Following the two championships in 1958 and 1959, the Colts did not return to the NFL Championship for four seasons and replaced the head coach Ewbank with the youngDon Shula in1963.[14] In Shula's second season the Colts compiled a 12–2 record, but lost to theCleveland Browns in theNFL Championship 27–0.[15]
In1968 the Colts returned with the continued leadership of Unitas and Shula and went on to win the Colts' third NFL Championship and made an appearance inSuper Bowl III.
Leading up to the Super Bowl and following the 34–0 trouncing of the Cleveland Browns in theNFL Championship, many were calling the 1968 Colts team one of the "greatest pro football teams of all time"[16] and were favored by 18 points against their counterparts from theAmerican Football League, theNew York Jets.[17] The Colts, however, were stunned by the Jets, who won the game 16–7 in the first Super Bowl victory for the young AFL. The result of the game surprised many in the sports media[18] asJoe Namath andMatt Snell led the Jets to the Super Bowl victory under head coach Weeb Ewbank, who had previously won two NFL Championships with the Colts.[19]
Rosenbloom of the Colts,Art Modell of the Browns, andArt Rooney of thePittsburgh Steelers agreed to have their teams join the ten AFL teams in theAmerican Football Conference as part of theAFL–NFL merger in 1970.[8]
The Colts immediately went on a rampage in the new league, as new head coachDon McCafferty led the1970 team to an 11–2–1 regular-season record, winning theAFC East title. In the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the Colts beat theCincinnati Bengals 17–0; one week later in the first-everAFC Championship Game, they beat theOakland Raiders 27–17. Baltimore went on to win the first post-merger Super Bowl (Super Bowl V), defeating theNational Football Conference'sDallas Cowboys 16–13 on a Jim O'Brien field goal with five seconds left to play.[20] The victory gave the Colts their fourth NFL championship and first Super Bowl victory. Following the championship, the Colts returned to the playoffs in1971 and defeated the Cleveland Browns in the first round, but lost to theMiami Dolphins in the AFC Championship.[21]
Citing friction with the City of Baltimore and the local press, Rosenbloom traded the Colts franchise toRobert Irsay on July 13, 1972, and received theLos Angeles Rams in return.[22] Under the new ownership, the Colts did not reach the postseason for three consecutive seasons after 1971, and after the1972 season, starting quarterback and legend Johnny Unitas was traded to theSan Diego Chargers.[8] Following Unitas' departure, the Colts made the playoffs three consecutive seasons from 1975 to 1977, losing in the divisional round each time. The Colts' 1977 playoff loss in double overtime against the Oakland Raiders was famous for the fact that it was the last playoff game for the Colts in Baltimore and is also known for theGhost to the Post play.[23] These consecutive championship teams featured 1976 NFL Most Valuable PlayerBert Jones at quarterback and an outstanding defensive line, nicknamed the "Sack Pack".[24]
Following the 1970s success, the team endured nine consecutive losing seasons beginning in1978. In1981, the Colts defense allowed an NFL-record 533 points, set an all-time record for fewest sacks (13), and also set a modern record for fewest punt returns (12).[25] The following year, the offense collapsed, including a game against theBuffalo Bills where the Colts' offense did not cross mid-field the entire game. The Colts finished 0–8–1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, thereby earning the right to selectStanford quarterbackJohn Elway with the first overall pick. Elway, however, refused to play for Baltimore, and using leverage as a draftee of theNew York Yankees baseball club, forced a trade toDenver.[26] Behind an improved defense the team finished 7–9 in1983, but that would be their last season in Baltimore.[27]
The Baltimore Colts played their final home game in Baltimore on December 18, 1983, against theHouston Oilers. Irsay continued to request upgrades toMemorial Stadium or construction of a new stadium.[28] As a result of the poor performance on the field and the stadium issues, fan attendance and team revenue continued to dwindle. City officials were precluded from using tax-payer funds for the building of a new stadium, and the modest proposals that were offered by the city were not acceptable to either the Colts or the city's MLB franchise theOrioles. However, all sides continued to negotiate.[28] Relations between Irsay and the city of Baltimore deteriorated. Although Irsay assured fans that his ultimate desire was to stay in Baltimore, he nevertheless began discussions with several other cities willing to build new football stadiums, eventually narrowing the list of cities to Indianapolis and Phoenix.[29] Under the administration ofmayorsRichard Lugar and thenWilliam Hudnut, Indianapolis had undertaken an ambitious effort to reinvent itself into a 'Great American City'.[30] TheHoosier Dome, which was later renamed the RCA Dome, had been built specifically for, and was ready to host, an NFL expansion team.[31]
Meanwhile, in Baltimore, the situation worsened. TheMaryland General Assembly intervened when a bill was introduced to give the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the team byeminent domain. As a result, Irsay began serious negotiations with Hudnut to move the team before the Maryland legislature could pass the law. Indianapolis offered loans as well as the Hoosier Dome and a training complex.[32] After the deal was reached, moving vans from Indianapolis-basedMayflower Transit were dispatched overnight to the team's Maryland training complex, arriving on the morning of March 29, 1984. Once in Maryland, workers loaded all of the team's belongings, and by midday the trucks departed for Indianapolis, leaving nothing of the Colts organization that could be seized by Baltimore.[33] TheBaltimore Colts' Marching Band had to scramble to retrieve their equipment and uniforms before they were shipped to Indianapolis as well.[34]
The move triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of the city of Baltimore and the Colts organization reached a settlement in March 1986. Under the agreement, all lawsuits regarding the relocation were dismissed, and the Colts agreed to endorse a new NFL team for Baltimore.[30]
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Upon the Colts' arrival in Indianapolis over 143,000 requests for season tickets were received in just two weeks.[35] The move did not change the recent fortune of the Colts, with the team appearing in the postseason only once in the first 11 seasons in Indianapolis. During the1984 season, the first in Indianapolis, the team went 4–12 and accounted for the lowest offensive yardage in the league.[36] The1985 and1986 teams combined for only eight wins, including an 0–13 start in 1986 which prompted the firing of head coachRod Dowhower, who was replaced byRon Meyer. The Colts, however, did receive eventual Hall of Fame running backEric Dickerson[37] as a result of a trade during the1987 season, and went on to compile a 9–6 record, thereby winning theAFC East and advancing to the postseason for the first time in Indianapolis; they lost that game to theCleveland Browns.
Following 1987, the Colts did not see any real success for quite some time, with the team missing the postseason for seven consecutive seasons. The struggles came to a climax in1991 when the team went 1–15 and was just one point away from the first all-losing season in the history of a 16-game schedule.[38] The season resulted in the firing of head coach Ron Meyer and the return of former head coachTed Marchibroda to the organization in1992; he had coached the team from 1975 to 1979. The team continued to struggle under Marchibroda andJim Irsay, son ofRobert Irsay and general manager at the time. It was in1994 that Robert Irsay brought inBill Tobin to become the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts.[39]
Under Tobin, the Colts drafted running backMarshall Faulk with the second overall pick in the1994 NFL draft[40] and acquired quarterbackJim Harbaugh as well.[41] These Colts began to turn their fortunes around with playoff appearances in1995 and1996. The Colts won their first postseason game as the Indianapolis Colts in 1995 and advanced to theAFC Championship Game against thePittsburgh Steelers, coming just aHail Mary pass reception away from a trip toSuper Bowl XXX.[42]
Marchibroda retired following the 1995 season and was replaced byLindy Infante in 1996.[43][44] In the 1996 season, the Colts went 9–7 and had their season end in the Wild Card Round with a 42–14 loss to the PIttsburgh Steelers.[45] After two consecutive playoff appearances, the Colts regressed and went 3–13 during the1997 season.[46]
Along with the disappointing season, the principal owner and man who moved the team to Indianapolis, Robert Irsay, died in January 1997 after years of declining health.[47] Jim Irsay, Robert Irsay's son, entered the role of principal owner following his father's death and quickly began to change the organization. Irsay replaced general manager Tobin withBill Polian in 1997 as the team decided to build through their number one overall pick in the1998 draft.[48]
Jim Irsay began to shape the Colts one year after assuming control from his father by firing head coachLindy Infante and hiringBill Polian as the general manager of the organization.[49] Polian in turn hiredJim E. Mora to become the next head coach of the team and draftedTennessee Volunteer quarterbackPeyton Manning, the son ofNew Orleans Saints legendArchie Manning, with the first overall pick in the1998 NFL draft.[50]
The team and Manning struggled during the1998 season, winning only three games;[51] Manning threw a league high 28 interceptions.[52] However, Manning did pass for 3,739 yards and threw 26 touchdown passes and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team.[53][54] The Colts began to improve towards the end of the 1998 season and showed continued growth in1999. Indianapolis draftedEdgerrin James in1999 and continued to improve their roster heading into the upcoming season.[55] The Colts went 13–3 in 1999 and finished first in theAFC East, their first division title since 1987. Indianapolis lost to the eventual AFC championTennessee Titans in thedivisional playoffs.[56]
The2000 and2001 Colts teams were considerably less successful compared to the 1999 team. The 2000 team went 10–6 and had their season end in the Wild Card Round with an overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins.[57] Pressure began to mount on team administration and the coaching staff following a 6–10 season in 2001.[58]
Mora was fired at the end of the season and was replaced by formerTampa Bay Buccaneers head coachTony Dungy.[59] Dungy and the team quickly changed the atmosphere of the organization and returned to the playoffs in2002 with a 10–6 record, only for them to get shut out in the2002 Wild Card Round to theNew York Jets.[60] The Colts also returned to the playoffs in2003 and2004 with 12–4 records andAFC South championships.[61][62] The Colts lost to theNew England Patriots andTom Brady in the2003 AFC Championship Game and in the2004 divisional playoffs, thereby beginning a rivalry between the two teams, and between Manning and Brady.[63] Following two consecutive playoff losses to the Patriots, the Colts began the2005 season with a 13–0 record, including a regular season victory over thePatriots, the first in the Manning era.[64] During the season, Manning andMarvin Harrison broke the NFL record for touchdowns by a quarterback and receiver tandem.[65] Indianapolis finished the 2005 season with a 14–2 record, the best record in the league that year and the best in a 16 games season for the franchise, but lost to thePittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round.[66]
Indianapolis entered the2006 season with a veteran quarterback, receivers, and defenders, and chose running backJoseph Addai in the2006 draft.[67] As in the previous season, the Colts began the season undefeated and went 9–0 before losing their first game against theDallas Cowboys.[68] Indianapolis finished the season with a 12–4 record and entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, this time as the number three seed in the AFC. The Colts won their first twoplayoff games against theKansas City Chiefs and theBaltimore Ravens to return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2003 playoffs, where they faced their rivals, theNew England Patriots. In a classic game,[69] the Colts overcame a 21–3 first-half deficit to win the game 38–34 and earned a trip toSuper Bowl XLI, the franchise's firstSuper Bowl appearance since1970 and for the first based in Indianapolis. The Colts faced theChicago Bears in the Super Bowl, winning the game 29–17 and giving Manning, Polian, Irsay, and Dungy, as well as the city of Indianapolis, their first Super Bowl title.[70][71][72]
Following their Super Bowl championship, the Colts compiled a 13–3 record during the2007 season; they lost to theSan Diego Chargers in thedivisional playoffs, in what was the final game the Colts played at the RCA Dome before moving intoLucas Oil Stadium in2008.[73] The 2008 season began with Manning being sidelined for most of the pre-season due to surgery.[74] Indianapolis began the season with a 3–4 record, but then won nine consecutive games to end the season at 12–4 and make in into the playoffs as a wild card team, eventually losing to theChargers in the wild card round.[75] Following the season, Tony Dungy announced his retirement after seven seasons as head coach, having compiled an overall record of 92–33 with the team.[76]
Jim Caldwell was hired as head coach of the team following Dungy, and led the team during the2009 season.[76] The Colts went 14–0 during the season to finish with an overall record of 14–2 after controversiallybenching their starters during the last two games.[77][78] The Colts for the second time in the Manning era entered the playoffs with the best record in the AFC. The Colts managed victories over theBaltimore Ravens andNew York Jets to advance toSuper Bowl XLIV against theNew Orleans Saints,[79] but lost to the Saints 31–17.[80][81]
At the completion of the 2009 season, the Colts had finished the first decade of the 2000s (2000–2009) with the most regular-season wins (115) and highest winning percentage (.719) of any team in the NFL during that span.[82][83][84][85]
The2010 team compiled a 10–6 record, the first time the Colts did not win 12 games since 2002, and lost to theNew York Jets in the wild card round of the playoffs.[86] The loss to the Jets was the last game for Peyton Manning as a Colt.[87]
After missing the preseason, Manning was ruled out for the Colts' opening game in Houston and eventually the entire2011 season.[88] Taking over as starter was veteran quarterbackKerry Collins, who had been signed to the team after dissatisfaction with backup quarterbackCurtis Painter andDan Orlovsky.[89] However, even with a veteran quarterback, the Colts lost their first 13 games and finished the season with a 2–14 record, enough to receive the first overall pick in the2012 draft.[90][91] Immediately following the season, team president Bill Polian was fired, ending his 14-year tenure with the team.[92] The change built the anticipation of the organization's decision regarding Manning's future with the team. The Peyton Manning era came to an end on March 8, 2012, when Jim Irsay announced that Manning was being released from the roster after 13 seasons.[93]
During the 2012 off-season owner Jim Irsay hiredRyan Grigson[94] to be the General Manager. Grigson decided to let head coach Jim Caldwell go andChuck Pagano was hired as the new head coach shortly thereafter.[95] The Colts also began to release some higher paid and oft-injured veteran players, includingJoseph Addai,Dallas Clark, andGary Brackett.[96] The Colts used their number one overall draft pick in 2012 to draftStanford Cardinal quarterbackAndrew Luck and also drafted his teammateCoby Fleener in the second round.[97][98] The team also switched to a 3–4 defensive scheme.[99]
With productive seasons from both Luck and veteran receiverReggie Wayne, the Colts rebounded from the 2–14 season of 2011 with a2012 season record of 11–5.[100] The franchise, team, and fan base rallied behind head coachChuck Pagano during his fight withleukemia.[101] Clinching an unexpected playoff spot in the2012–13 NFL playoffs, the 14th playoff berth for the club since1995. The season ended in a 24–9 playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl ChampionBaltimore Ravens.[102]
Two weeks into the 2013 season, the Colts traded their first-round selection in the2014 NFL draft to theCleveland Browns for running backTrent Richardson.[103] In Week 7, Luck led the Colts to a 39–33 win over his predecessor,Peyton Manning, and the undefeatedBroncos.[104] Luck went on to lead the Colts to a 15th division championship later that season. In the first round of the2013 NFL playoffs, Andrew Luck led the Colts to a 45–44 victory over Kansas City, outscoring the Chiefs 35–13 in the second half in the second biggest comeback in NFL playoff history.[105]
During the 2014 season, Luck led the Colts to the AFC Championship game for the first time in his career after breaking the Colts' single-season passing yardage record previously held by Manning.[106]
After the Colts finished 8–8 in both the2015 and2016 seasons and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997–98, Grigson was fired as general manager.[107][108][109] Just three of his previous 18 draft picks remained on the team at the time of his firing.[110] On January 30, 2017, the team hiredChris Ballard, who served as theKansas City Chiefs Director of Football Operations, to replace Grigson.[111]
On December 31, 2017, after winning the final game of theseason and a final record of 4–12, the Colts parted ways with Pagano.[112][113] Luck, who had suffered multiple injuries and missed nine games during the 2015 season, sat out the entire 2017 season recovering from shoulder surgery.[114]
In the weeks following the end of the 2017 season, after two interviews, it was widely reported that the Colts would hireJosh McDaniels, offensive coordinator of theNew England Patriots, to replace Pagano, after McDaniels fulfilled his obligations to the Patriots inSuper Bowl LII.[115] On February 8, 2018, the Colts announced McDaniels as their new head coach.[116] Hours later, however, McDaniels rescinded his decision to be the head coach, and he returned to the Patriots.[117][118]
On February 11, 2018, the Colts announcedFrank Reich, then offensive coordinator of thePhiladelphia Eagles, as their new head coach.[119][120][121] In Reich's first season as head coach, Andrew Luck's return to the field got off to a shaky start, as the Colts began the 2018 season 1–5. However, they surged back to win nine of their last ten games to secure a 10–6 record and a playoff berth.[122] They won a wild card game against their division rivalHouston Texans before falling to theKansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.[123][124] Luck, benefiting from the Colts' best offensive line of his career, was named the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year.[125]
Colts General Manager Chris Ballard achieved a historic feat in 2018 when two players he had drafted that year, guardQuenton Nelson and linebackerShaquille Leonard were both named First-Team All-Pro.[126] This was the first time two rookies from the same team received that honor since Hall-of-FamersDick Butkus andGale Sayers achieved the feat in 1965.[127]
On August 24, 2019, Luck informed the Colts that he would be retiring from the NFL after not attending training camp. He cited an unfulfilling cycle of injury and rehab as his primary reason for leaving football.[128]
On November 17, 2019, the Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars for the team's 300th win in the Indianapolis era, with a record of 300–267.[129] Despite a promising 5–2 start and strong seasons from Leonard, Nelson, and newly acquired defensive endJustin Houston, the Colts struggled in the second half of the 2019 season with new starting quarterbackJacoby Brissett at the helm and finished the year with a 7–9 record.[130]
On March 17, 2020, the Colts signed longtimeLos Angeles Chargers quarterback and eight-time Pro BowlerPhilip Rivers to a one-year deal worth $25 million.[131] Rivers led the Colts to an 11–5 record and a playoff berth, where they then lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the NFL's first expanded playoffs.[132][133]
On March 17, 2021, the Colts traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 second-round conditional pick for former Eagles quarterbackCarson Wentz.[134] Despite an All-Pro season from running backJonathan Taylor, the Colts finished the season 9–8 after an upset loss to theJacksonville Jaguars that eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.[135] The Colts then traded Wentz and a second round pick to theWashington Commanders in exchange for three draft picks.[136]
On March 21, 2022, the Colts traded a 2022 third-round pick for longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterbackMatt Ryan.[137] After playing seven games in which he threw for nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also fumbling 11 times, Ryan was benched for the remainder of the season in favor ofSam Ehlinger.[138]
On November 7, 2022, the Colts fired Reich as head coach the day after losing by 23 points to theNew England Patriots to continue a disappointing 3–5–1 start. Longtime Colts centerJeff Saturday was subsequently named the interim head coach.[139] Under Saturday, the Colts went 1–7, and overall, the Colts finished the2022 season with a record of 4–12–1, their lowest win total since 2017.[140]
Coming off their lowest win total since 2017, the Colts decided not to retain interim head coachJeff Saturday and on February 14, 2023, they hiredShane Steichen as their new head coach.[141] Later in the offseason, the Colts released quarterbacksMatt Ryan andNick Foles.[142][143] The Colts would go on to selectFlorida Gators quarterbackAnthony Richardson with the fourth pick in the2023 NFL draft.[144] In free agency, the Colts signed quarterbackGardner Minshew and kickerMatt Gay.[145][146]
On October 18, 2023, the Colts announced that Richardson would miss the remainder of the season with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain. On October 24, 2023, he successfully underwent shoulder surgery to repair the sprain. Backup quarterback Minshew was named by Steichen as the starter during Richardson's absence.[147][148] During the2023 NFL season, wide receiverMichael Pittman Jr. broke the Colts franchise record for the most receptions in the first four years of a player's career.[149] Despite many injuries, including to Richardson and All-Pro running backJonathan Taylor, the 2023 Colts rebounded from their 4–12–1 record in 2022, finishing 9–8 and narrowly missing the playoffs with a loss to theHouston Texans in the season finale.[150] In 2024, On April 25, 2024, the Colts selected UCLA defensive endLaiatu Latu with the 15th pick in the2024 NFL draft.[151]In 2024, the Colts failed to improve on their 9-8 record and were eliminated from the playoffs by a week 17 loss to theNew York Giants, finishing 8-9.[152]
The Colts' helmets in 1953 were white with a blue stripe. In 1954–55 they were blue with a white stripe and a pair of horseshoes at the rear of the helmet. For 1956, the colors were reversed, white helmet, blue stripe and horseshoes at the rear. In 1957, the horseshoes moved to their current location, one on each side of the helmet.
The blue jerseys have white shoulder stripes and the white jerseys have blue stripes. The team also wears white pants with blue stripes down the sides. Both designs originally had sleeve stripes, but by 1957, the uniforms changed to its current form, which evolved as materials changed.
For much of the team's history, the Colts wore blue socks, accenting them with two or three white stripes for much of their history in Baltimore and during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. From 1982 to 1987, the blue socks featured gray stripes. For a period lasting 1955 to 1958 and again from 1988 to 1992, the Colts wore white socks with either two or three blue stripes.
From 1982 through 1986, the Colts wore gray pants with their blue jerseys. The gray pants featured a horseshoe on the top of the sides with the player's number inside the horseshoe. The Colts continued to wear white pants with their white jerseys throughout this period, and in 1987, the gray pants were retired.
The Colts wore blue pants with their white jerseys for the first three games of the1995 season (pairing them with white socks), but then returned to white pants with both the blue and white jerseys. The team made some minor uniform adjustments before the start of the2004 season, including reverting from blue to the traditional gray face masks, darkening their blue colors from a royal blue to speed blue, as well as adding two white stripes to the socks. In 2006, the stripes were removed from the socks.
In 2002, the Colts made a minor striping pattern change on their jerseys, having the stripes only on top of the shoulders then stop completely. Previously, the stripes used to go around to underneath the jersey sleeves. This was done because the Colts, like many other football teams, were beginning to manufacture the jerseys to be tighter to reduce holding calls and reduce the size of the sleeves. Although the white jerseys of theMinnesota Vikings at the time also had a similar striping pattern and continued as such (as well as thethrowbacks theNew England Patriots wore in theThanksgiving game against theDetroit Lions in2002, though the Patriots later wore the same throwbacks in2009 with truncated stripes and in2010 became their officialalternate uniform), the Colts and mostcollege teams with this striping pattern did not make this adjustment.
In 2017, the Colts brought back the blue pants but paired them with the blue jerseys as part of theNFL Color Rush program.[153]
The club revealed an updated wordmark logo, as well as updated numeral fonts, on April 13, 2020. While blue and white remained the team's core colors, they added black as a tertiary color, with its usage restricted to the embroidered Nike swoosh on the white uniforms.[154][155] Despite the wordmark change, the previous wordmarks were still painted on the Lucas Oil Stadium end zones until 2024, when the Colts unveiled a new turf surface.[156]
On July 20, 2023, the Colts unveiled a new alternate uniform, including a black alternate helmet.[157] The jersey remained blue, but added black trim to the numbers and moved the white sleeve stripes to the shoulders. The "Indiana C" alternate logo was placed on the left shoulder. Blue pants with white stripes are paired with this uniform. In a first for the franchise, the Colts would wear black helmets with the uniform, maintaining almost the same look as the primary white helmet save for the increased usage of black.[158]
After 24 years of playing at the RCA Dome,[159] the Colts moved to their new home Lucas Oil Stadium in the late 2008.[160] In December 2004, the City of Indianapolis and Jim Irsay agreed to a new stadium deal at an estimated cost of $1 billion (including the Indiana Convention Center upgrades). In a deal estimated at $122 million, Lucas Oil Products won the naming rights to the stadium for 20 years.
Lucas Oil Stadium is a seven-level stadium that seats 63,000 for football. It can be reconfigured to seat 70,000 or more for NCAA basketball and football and concerts. It covers 1.8 million square feet (170,000 m2). The stadium features a retractable roof allowing the Colts to play home games outdoors for the first time since arriving in Indianapolis. UsingFieldTurf, the playing surface is roughly 25 ft (7.6 m) below ground level. In addition to being larger than the RCA Dome, the new stadium features: 58 permanent concession stands, 90 portable concession stands, 13 escalators, 11 passenger elevators, 800 restrooms,HD video displays fromDaktronics and replay monitors and 142 luxury suites. The stadium also features aretractable roof, withelectrification technology developed by VAHLE, Inc.[161] Other than being the home of the Colts, the stadium will host games in both the Men's and Women'sNCAA basketball tournaments and will serve as the backup host for all NCAAFinal Four Tournaments. The stadium hosted the Super Bowl for the 2011 season (Super Bowl XLVI). Lucas Oil Stadium has also hosted theDrum Corps International World Championships since 2009.
In one of the newer rivalries in the NFL, the Colts andHouston Texans have intensified their animosity in recent years. Despite Indianapolis dominating the AFC South and this particular series under quarterbackPeyton Manning in the 2000s, Houston has recently provided more competition, winning the division five times since 2011. As of the 2023 season, Indianapolis currently leads the series 33–11–1, including a win in the postseason in 2018.[162][163][164][165][166][167]
The Colts andJacksonville Jaguars emerged as divisional rivals in the NFL when they were assigned to the AFC South division. Historically, the Colts have had the upper hand in this rivalry, particularly during the Peyton Manning era. Although the Jaguars have struggled to maintain a consistently competitive roster, they have managed to achieve significant upsets against the Colts[168][169][170] and have recorded more victories against them than against the Titans and Texans.[171] The 2020s have marked a period of increased competitiveness for both teams.[172]
The Colts and Titans, the oldest rivalry in the AFC South, have been competing against each other since the1970 season, originally as theBaltimore Colts and theHouston Oilers.[173] They became divisional rivals in the2002 season, leading to numerous contests for the AFC South title, with the Titans occasionally managing to wrest the title from the Colts.[174][175] In recent years, however, the Colts have largely controlled the rivalry, thanks in part to the exceptional performances of quarterbacks Peyton Manning andAndrew Luck, with Luck finishing his career undefeated against the Titans, going 11–0.[176][177] Nonetheless, the 2020s have seen a resurgence in competitiveness from both teams as they vie for the AFC South title and a playoff berth.[178]
As of the 2023 season, the Colts lead the overall series, 37–22. The two teams have met once in theplayoffs, with the Titans winning 19–16 in the2000 AFC Divisional playoff game.[179]
The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts andNew England Patriots is one of the NFL's newest rivalries. The rivalry is fueled by the quarterback comparison betweenPeyton Manning andTom Brady during the 2000s.[180][181][182][183][184] The Patriots owned the beginning of the series, defeating the Colts in six consecutive contests including the 2003 AFC Championship game and a 2004 AFC Divisional game. The Colts won the next three matches, notching two regular-season victories and a win in the 2006 AFC Championship game on the way to their win inSuper Bowl XLI.[185] On November 4, 2007, the Patriots defeated the Colts 24–20; in the next matchup on November 2, 2008, the Colts won 18–15 in a game that was one of the reasons the Patriots failed to make the playoffs; in the 2009 meeting, the Colts staged a spirited comeback to beat the Patriots 35–34; in2010 the Colts almost staged another comeback, pulling within 31–28 after trailing 31–14 in the fourth quarter, but fell short due to a Patriots interception of a Manning pass late in the game; it turned out to be Manning's final meeting against the Patriots as a member of the Colts.[186] After adismal 2011 season that included a 31–24 loss to the Patriots, the Colts draftedAndrew Luck and in November of2012 the two teams met with identical 6–3 records; the Patriots erased a 14–7 gap to win 59–24. The nature of this rivalry is ironic because the Colts and Patriots were division rivals from 1970 to 2001, but it did not become prominent in league circles until after Indianapolis was relocated to theAFC South.[187] On November 16, 2014, the New England Patriots traveled at 7–2 to play the 6–3 Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. After a stellar four-touchdown performance by New England running back Jonas Gray, the Patriots defeated the Colts 42–20. The Patriots followed up with a 45–7 defeat of the Colts in the 2014AFC Championship Game.[188] As of the 2023 season, the Patriots lead the all-time series 53–31.[189]
In the years 1953–66, the Colts played in theNFL Western Conference (also known as division), but did not have significant rivalries with other franchises in that alignment, as they were the easternmost team and the rest of the division included theGreat Lakes franchisesGreen Bay,Detroit Lions,Chicago Bears, and after 1961, theMinnesota Vikings, along with the league's two West Coast teams inSan Francisco andLos Angeles. The closest team to Baltimore was theWashington Redskins, but they were not in the same division and not very competitive during most years at that time.
In1958, Baltimore played its first NFL Championship Game against the 10–3New York Giants. The Giants qualified for the championship after a tie-breaking playoff against theCleveland Browns. Having already been defeated by the Giants in the regular season, Baltimore was not favored to win, yet proceeded totake the title in sudden death overtime.[190] The Colts then repeated the feat by posting an identical record and routing the Giants in the1959 final. Up until the Colts' back-to-back titles, the Giants had been the premier club in the NFL, and continued to be post-season stalwarts the next decade, losing three straight finals. The situation was reversed by the end of the decade, with Baltimore winning the1968 NFL title and New York compiling less impressive results. In recent years, the Colts and Giants featured brothers as their starting quarterbacks (Peyton andEli Manning respectively), leading to their occasional match-up being referred to as the "Manning Bowl".[191] As of the 2023 season, the Colts lead the all-time series 12–7.[192]
Super Bowl III became the most famous upset in professional sports history as theAmerican Football League'sNew York Jets won 16–7 over the overwhelmingly favored Colts.[193] With the merger of the AFL and NFL the Colts and Jets were placed in the newAFC East. The two teams met twice a year (interrupted in 1982 by a player strike) 1970–2001; with the move of the Colts to theAFC South the two teams' rivalry actually escalated, as they met three times in the playoffs in the South's first nine seasons of existence; the Jets crushed the Colts 41–0 in the 2002 Wild Card playoff round; the Colts then defeated the Jets 30–17 in the 2009AFC Championship Game; but the next year in the wild-card round the Jets pulled off another playoff upset of the Colts, winning 17–16; it wasPeyton Manning's final game with the Colts. The Jets defeated the Colts 35–9 in2012 inAndrew Luck's debut season; after two straight losses Luck led a 45–10 rout of the Jets in2016.
Joe Namath andJohnny Unitas were the focal point of the rivalry at its beginning, but they did not meet for a full game until September 24, 1972. Namath erupted with six touchdowns and 496 passing yards despite only 28 throws and 15 completions. Unitas threw for 376 yards and two scores but was sacked six times as the Jets won 44–34; the game was considered one of the top ten passing duels in NFL history.[194] As of the 2023 season, the Colts lead the all-time series 44–32.[195]
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Baltimore's postNFL-AFL merger passage to the AFC saw them thrust into a new environment with little in common with its fellow divisional teams: theJets,Miami Dolphins,Buffalo Bills, andBoston Patriots. One angle where Baltimore and Miami did have something in common, however, came in new Miami coachDon Shula. Shula had coached the Colts the previous seven pre-merger seasons (1963–69) and was signed byJoe Robbie after the merger was consummated; because the signing came after the merger the NFL's rules ontampering came into play, and the Dolphins had to give up their first-round pick to the Colts.
Powered by QBEarl Morrall Baltimore was the first non-AFL franchise to win a division title in the conference, outlasting the Miami Dolphins by one game, and leading the division since Week 3 of1970. The two franchises were denied a playoff confrontation by Miami's first-round defeat to theOakland Raiders, whereas Baltimore won its first Super Bowl title that year.
Yet in 1971, the teams were engaged in a heated race that went down to the final week of the season, where Miami won its first division title with a 10–3–1 title compared to the 10–4 Baltimore record after the Colts won the Week 13 matchup between them at home, but proceeded to lose the last game of the season to Boston. In the playoffs, Baltimore advanced to the AFC title game after a 20–3 victory over the Cleveland Browns, while Miami won in double overtime against theKansas City Chiefs. This set up a title game that was favored for the defending league champion Colts. Yet Miami won the AFC championship with a 21–0 shutout and advanced to loseSuper Bowl VI to Dallas. In 1975 Baltimore and Miami tied with 10–4 records, yet the Colts advanced to the playoffs based on a head-to-head sweep of their series. In 1977 Baltimore tied for first for the third straight year (in 1976 they tied with the now-New England Patriots) with Miami, and this time advanced to the playoffs on even slimmer pretenses, with a conference record of 9–3 compared to Miami's 8–4, as they had split the season series. The rivalry in the following years was virtually negated by very poor play of the Colts; the Colts won just 117 games in the twenty-one seasons (1978–98) that bracketed their 1977 playoff loss to theOakland Raiders and the 1999 trade of star running backMarshall Faulk; this included a 0–8–1 record during the NFL's strike-shortened 1982 season.
In 1995, now as Indianapolis, the two both posted borderline 9–7 records to tie for second againstBuffalo, yet the Colts once again reached the post-season having swept the season series. The following season they edged out Miami by posting a 9–7 record and winning the ordinarily meaningless 3rd-place position but qualifying for the wild card. The two clubs'1999meetings were dramatic affairs betweenHall of Fame-boundDan Marino and up-and-coming starPeyton Manning. Marino led a 25-point fourth-quarter comeback for a 34–31 Dolphins win at theRCA Dome, and then inMiami Marino led another comeback to tie the game 34–34 with 36 seconds remaining; Manning, however, drove the Colts in range for a 53-yard field goal as time expired (37–34 Colts win).
The last truly meaningful matchup between the two franchises was in the 2000 season, when Miami edged out Indianapolis with an 11–5 record for the division championship. The two then met in the wild-card round where the Dolphins won in overtime 23–17 beforebeing blown out by Oakland 27–0 (the Colts themselves had suffered a bitter loss to the Raiders in Week 2 of the season when the Raiders erased a 24–7 gap to win 38–31). In2002 the Colts moved to the newly createdAFC South division; the two clubs met at theRCA Dome on September 15 where the Dolphins edged the Colts 21–13 after stopping a late Colts drive. The rivalry was effectively retired after this; the two clubs did meet in a memorableMonday Night Football matchup in 2009 where the Colts, despite having the ball for only 15 minutes, defeated the Dolphins 27–23.
The rivalry saw a rekindling after the2012 NFL draft brought new quarterbacks to both teams inRyan Tannehill and Luck. The two met during the 2012 season with Luck breaking the rookie record for passing yards in a game in a 23–20 win over the Dolphins, but Tannehill and the Dolphins beat the Colts 24–20 the next season. The Dolphins win began a slump for Luck and the Colts againstAFC East teams (eight straight losses by the Colts) that ended in December 2016 against theJets, when they defeated them by a score of 41–10. As of the 2023 season, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 48–28.[196]
| No. | Player | Position | Years played | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Peyton Manning | QB | 1998–2011 | October 8, 2017[197][198] |
| 19 | Johnny Unitas | QB | 1956–1972 | |
| 22 | Buddy Young | RB | 1953–1955 | |
| 24 | Lenny Moore | HB | 1956–1967 | November 24, 1968 |
| 70 | Art Donovan | DT | 1953–1961 | 1962 |
| 77 | Jim Parker | OL | 1957–1967 | |
| 82 | Raymond Berry | WR | 1955–1967 | |
| 89 | Gino Marchetti | DE | 1953–1966 |
| No. | Name | Positions | Seasons | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | Raymond Berry | SE | 1955–1967 | 1973 |
| 96 | Richard Dent | DE | 1996 | 2011 |
| 29 | Eric Dickerson | RB | 1987–1991 | 1999 |
| 70 | Art Donovan | DT | 1953–1961 | 1968 |
| 28 | Marshall Faulk | RB | 1994–1998 | 2011 |
| 93 | Dwight Freeney | DE | 2002–2012 | 2024 |
| 88 | Marvin Harrison | WR | 1996–2008 | 2016 |
| 83 | Ted Hendricks | LB | 1969–1973 | 1990 |
| 32 | Edgerrin James | RB | 1999–2005 | 2020 |
| 81 | Andre Johnson | WR | 2015 | 2024 |
| 88 | John Mackey | TE | 1963–1971 | 1992 |
| 89 | Gino Marchetti | DE | 1953–1964 1966 | 1972 |
| 18 | Peyton Manning | QB | 1998–2011 | 2021 |
| 77 | Jim Parker | OT | 1957–1967 | 1973 |
| 24 | Lenny Moore | HB | 1956–1967 | 1975 |
| 34 | Joe Perry | FB | 1961–1962 | 1969 |
| 19 | Johnny Unitas | QB | 1956–1972 | 1979 |
| Name | Positions | Tenure | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeb Ewbank | Head coach | 1954–1962 | 1978 |
| Don Shula | Head coach | 1963–1969 | 1997 |
| Bill Polian | President/GM | 1998–2011 | 2015 |
| Tony Dungy | Head coach | 2002–2008 | 2016 |
TheRing of Honor was established on September 23, 1996. There have been 19 inductees.[199]
| No. | Name | Position | Years With Club | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Robert Irsay | Owner | 1972–1997 | 1996[200] |
| 80 | Bill Brooks | WR | 1986–1992 | 1998[201] |
| 75 | Chris Hinton | OT, OG | 1983–1989 | 2001[202] |
| — | Ted Marchibroda | Head Coach | 1975–1979 1992–1995 | 2002[203] |
| 4 | Jim Harbaugh | QB | 1994–1997 | 2005[204] |
| — | 12th Man | Fans | — | 2007 |
| — | Tony Dungy | Head Coach | 2002–2008 | 2010 |
| 88 | Marvin Harrison | WR | 1996–2008 | 2011 |
| 32 | Edgerrin James | RB | 1999–2005 | 2012[205] |
| 29 | Eric Dickerson | RB | 1987–1991 | 2013[206] |
| 28 | Marshall Faulk | RB | 1994–1998 | |
| 6 | Jeff Saturday | C | 1999–2011 | 2015[207] |
| — | Bill Polian | President/GM | 1998–2011 | 2017[208][209] |
| 18 | Peyton Manning | QB | 1998–2011 | |
| 87 | Reggie Wayne | WR | 2001–2014 | 2018 |
| 93 | Dwight Freeney | DE | 2002–2012 | 2019[210] |
| 98 | Robert Mathis | DE | 2003–2016 | 2021[211] |
| 78 | Tarik Glenn | OT | 1997–2006 | 2022[212] |
| 44 | Dallas Clark | TE | 2003–2011 | 2024[213] |
|
| |||||
This is a partial list of the Colts' last five completed seasons. For the full season-by-season franchise results, seeList of Indianapolis Colts seasons.[214]
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
| Super Bowl champions (1970–present) | Conference champions | Division champions | *Wild Card berth |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
| 2019 | 2019 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | — | — |
| 2020 | 2020 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd* | 11 | 5 | 0 | LostWild Card Playoffs (atBills) 27–24 | — |
| 2021 | 2021 | NFL | AFC | South | 2nd | 9 | 8 | 0 | — | — |
| 2022 | 2022 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 4 | 12 | 1 | — | — |
| 2023 | 2023 | NFL | AFC | South | 3rd | 9 | 8 | 0 | — | — |
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Colts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Peyton Manning | 54,828 passing yards | 1998–2011[215] |
| Rushing | Edgerrin James | 9,226 rushing yards | 1999–2005[216] |
| Receiving | Marvin Harrison | 14,580 receiving yards | 1996–2008[217] |
| Coaching wins | Tony Dungy | 85 wins | 2002–2008[218] |
| Sacks | Robert Mathis | 118 sacks | 2003–2016[219] |
| Interceptions | Bobby Boyd | 57 interceptions | 1960–1968[219] |
The Colts' flagship radio stations since2007 areWFNI (1070 AM, currently silent but with its repeater signals at 93.5 FM and 107.5 FM continuing to function as "93.5/107.5 The Fan" usingWIBC-HD2 as a signal source) andWLHK 97.1 FM. The 1070 AM frequency, then known asWIBC, had also been the flagship from 1984 to 1992 and from 1995 to 1997.
Matt Taylor is the team'splay-by-play announcer, succeedingBob Lamey in 2018.[220][221] Lamey held the job from 1984 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 2018.[222] Former Colts backupquarterbackJim Sorgi serves as the "color commentator[223]". Mike Jansen serves as the public address announcer at all Colts home games.[224] Jansen has been the public address announcer since the 1998 season.
The team's local TV carriage rights were shaken up in mid-2014 when WTTV's ownerTribune Media came to terms withCBS to become the network's Indianapolis affiliate as of January 1, 2015, replacingWISH-TV.[225] With the deal, both Tribune Media stations, includingWXIN (channel 59) carry the bulk of the team's regular-season games starting with the2015 NFL season. Also as of the 2015 season, WTTV and WXIN became the official Colts stations and air the team's preseason games, along with official team programming and coach's shows, and have a signage presence along the fascia of Lucas Oil Stadium.[226]
WISH's sister stationWNDY-TV aired preseason games from 2011 to 2014, having replaced WTTV at that time.[227]
The following are the Colts affiliated radio stations:[228]
On January 23, 1953, under the principal ownership of Carroll Rosenbloom, the NFL's Dallas Texans franchise was moved to Baltimore where, keeping the "Colts" nickname, the Texans team colors of blue and white were inherited.
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