Here are the three most underrated Colts of the Peyton Manning era.
The Indianapolis Colts had the luxury of fielding some incredibly talented teams during the highly successful Peyton Manning era. When you think of studs like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne Edgerrin James, and Dwight Freeney — two of which are Hall of Famers — there was really no shortage of star power on those teams.
Though the Colts only won one Super Bowl during Manning’s reign under center, which spanned from 1998 to 2010, they were always in that conversation. In fact, Indianapolis took home seven division crowns, qualified for the playoffs 10 times and made three appearances in the AFC Championship Game over the span.
While there’s no doubting that players like Manning and the three others mentioned above played a major role in the Colts’ success across those 13 years, the list of underrated and overlooked players is nearly twice as long.
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That got us thinking: Who were some of the most unheralded players of the Manning era? It wasn’t easy, but we managed to narrow the list down to three.
3. Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley might have only spent four seasons (2003-2006) in Indianapolis, but he was easily the most underrated weapon on the Colts’ lethal offense during that span. Fans in Indy will remember him for catching Manning’s 49th touchdown in 2004, which broke Dan Marino’s record for most TD passes in a single season. That record has since been broken, but the moment is one of the most iconic in Colts history.
During the former fourth-round pick’s tenure in Indy, he compiled 139 receptions for 1,916 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are pretty impressive numbers when you consider he was behind the likes of Harrison and Wayne in the wide receiver pecking order.
To put a bow on why Stokley qualifies for this list, he was around when the Colts’ greatest achievement of the Manning era — when they toppled the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Nothing more needs to be said.
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.
1. Robert Mathis
It’s pretty wild to think that Robert Mathis qualifies as an underrated player, but he was grossly overlooked not only by Colts fans, but by the national media as well.
If we had to compare the former five-time Pro Bowler’s situation to the present day, we’d say that he was to Dwight Freeney as Everson Griffen was to Danielle Hunter in Minnesota for so many years. Both are great players, but, as is often the case, one outshined the other outside of the locker room from a recognition standpoint.
From 2003-2010, Mathis averaged a ridiculous 9.3 sacks per season. He also led the NFL in forced fumbles on two separate occasions.
The former fifth-round pick out of Alabama A&M helped Indianapolis win their lone Super Bowl of the Manning era, and was the team’s most important defensive player for long stretches. He came out of absolutely nowhere, and became a Colt for life, agreeing to join the team’s coaching staff as an assistant the minute he left the active roster following the 2016 season.
He didn’t want to leave, and we didn’t want to let him. Give Mathis the props he deserves, Colts Nation!