Indianapolis Colts · Franchise era 7 of 7
Life after Luck: the Indianapolis Colts story
The story in one sentence
Indianapolis cycled through veteran and young quarterbacks while retaining a physical offensive identity and rebuilding around its line and skill talent.
A strong roster searches for quarterback permanence
Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson and Michael Pittman Jr. gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2019
What came before
Luck reached the playoffs in each of his first three seasons and authored a massive comeback, but accumulated injuries led to his sudden retirement.
2021-01-09
Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills
- 24TradeMarch 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
The conditional-pick trade that reunited Carson Wentz and Frank Reich
The Colts bet Reich could restore his former quarterback; Philadelphia prioritized flexibility after Wentz's difficult final season.
To IND
To PHI20213RDround asset20221STround assetCarson Wentz to IndianapolisIND receives Carson WentzPHI receives 2021 3rd-round pick, 2022 conditional 2nd-round pick · became a first3 original assets · 1 outcomes tracedOpen trade → Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core