Your bracket is busted. I know it is. If you’re like me, it was no longer perfect after the very first game. Hey, don’t throw shade. 18 million brackets were done because of that game. Anyway…the Indianapolis Colts have had their share of bracket busters along the way; moves that seemed like winners but ended in failure. Some were minor inconveniences from which they could pivot, while others rocked the franchise to the core. Let’s dive into some of the more recent “winners” that turned into upsets.
Josh McDaniels Changes His Mind
The Colts had a controversial head coach lined up to lead the franchise until they didn’t. McDaniels failed in Denver but was still seen as one of the great offensive minds in the game. He was tasked with unlocking Andrew Luck and taking him to the next level. Within hours of being announced as the head coach, he backed out of the deal and returned to New England. The Colts pivoted to Frank Reich and the rivalry was back on.
Carson Wentz Trade
Wentz needed out of Philly, and the Colts needed a quarterback after Philip Rivers retired. The Colts paid a pretty penny in the hopes Wentz could get back some of his magic. A third-round pick and a second-rounder that turned into a first looked disastrous come the following January. He wasn’t the worst quarterback over the last decade, but his decisions were head-scratching. Jim Irsay couldn’t wait to show him the door. Melting down against the worst team in football with a chance to make the postseason was the final straw.
Matt Ryan Trade
Some people tend to panic when things aren’t going well and double down on bad mistakes. That’s what the Colts did with Ryan. They needed to get out from Wentz and were able to salvage enough to bring Ryan to Indianapolis. He had enough gas in the tank to get the Colts back in the winning column, or so we were told. There was trouble from the start after tying a bad Texans team in Houston in the first game of the season. It didn’t get better as Ryan was benched twice and released the following year.
Andrew Luck Retires
Luck is responsible for three of the events on this list. Of course he isn’t solely to blame for retiring, but if he hadn’t, things would have looked a lot different around West 56th Street. A lack of competent team building left Luck on an island to suffer numerous serious injuries. That, coupled with a lack of love for the game, forced Luck’s decision; a decision the Colts still haven’t successfully resolved. Talk about a bracket buster. The future was bright and fans still think about missed championship opportunities because he is gone. That decision changed the franchise forever.
Are there more bracket busters? Sure. These are some of the biggest in recent memory but Jeff George, Trent Richardson, Ryan Grigson, and others could have certainly made the list. These all looked like winning hands that turned sour for the team that calls Indiana home.
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