NFL franchise story

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts connect Baltimore's Unitas revolution to Indianapolis's Manning machine, with championships in both cities and Andrew Luck's brilliant, shortened bridge between eras.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Indianapolis Colts.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Indianapolis Colts official NFL team page ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1953—1962

Johnny Unitas

Raymond Berry

Gino Marchetti

The modern passing quarterback takes shape

Unitas and the greatest game

Unitas's timing with Berry and a dominant defense won back-to-back championships, beginning with the 1958 overtime title game that helped popularize the NFL.

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Chapter 01

1953—1962

Franchise era

1963—1971

Johnny Unitas

John Mackey

Mike Curtis

A powerhouse absorbs one loss and wins another way

From upset to Super Bowl V

Baltimore's 1968 juggernaut suffered the league's most famous upset, then a veteran defense responded by winning Super Bowl V two years later.

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Chapter 02

1963—1971

Franchise era

1972—1983

Bert Jones

Lydell Mitchell

Roger Carr

The Sack Pack briefly revives a fading home

Baltimore's final chapter

Jones's MVP-level peak produced three straight division titles before injuries, instability and stadium conflict preceded the move to Indianapolis.

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Chapter 03

1972—1983

Franchise era

1984—1997

Eric Dickerson

Jeff George

Jim Harbaugh

A new city waits through upheaval

Indianapolis searches for a cornerstone

Dickerson supplied the first playoff breakthrough and Harbaugh's 1995 team came within one catch of the Super Bowl before the franchise found its defining draft pick.

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Chapter 04

1984—1997

Franchise era

1998—2011

Peyton Manning

Marvin Harrison

Reggie Wayne

Pre-snap command creates a perennial contender

The Peyton Manning machine

Manning and a precisely constructed offense won at least twelve games seven straight times and captured Super Bowl XLI after a defining comeback against New England.

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Chapter 05

1998—2011

Franchise era

2012—2018

Andrew Luck

T.Y. Hilton

Robert Mathis

A generational successor carries immediate turnarounds

Andrew Luck's brilliant sprint

Luck reached the playoffs in each of his first three seasons and authored a massive comeback, but accumulated injuries led to his sudden retirement.

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Chapter 06

2012—2018

Franchise era

2019—present

Jonathan Taylor

Quenton Nelson

Michael Pittman Jr.

A strong roster searches for quarterback permanence

Life after Luck

Indianapolis cycled through veteran and young quarterbacks while retaining a physical offensive identity and rebuilding around its line and skill talent.

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Chapter 07

2019—present

Present day

The essential watchlist