Colts: 3 most underrated Colts of the Peyton Manning era

2. Gary Brackett

Forget being one of the most underrated Colts during his career, Gary Brackett was one of the most overlooked players in the entire NFL. That probably has something to do with his 5-foot-11 stature and the fact that he wasn’t a flashy player.

The former undrafted linebacker out of Rutgers spent his entire career (2003-2011) with Indianapolis, starting 86 of his 116 appearances. Across that span, he logged a whopping 712 tackles, 12 interceptions, 29 passes defended and three defensive touchdowns.

For a six-year stretch, Brackett was simply the heart and soul of the Colts defense. Of course, the statistics and consistency only tell half the story of Brackett’s career. His defining moment may have flown under the radar at the time, but he admitted to Pat MacAfee this year that he played half of a Super Bowl with a broken hand.

Consistent performer and guttier than you could imagine. Give the man more credit.

While we fully understand fans that give most of the spotlight to players like defensive end Dwight Freeney and safety Antoine Bethea, it would be wrong to completely write off the former Scarlet Knight as an integral component of Indianapolis’ defense during the prime years of the Manning era.