Colts: 3 former Indy players we’d like revenge on this season
By Kristen Wong
2. Joe Haeg
If losing Ebron was like breaking up with a toxic summer fling, losing Joe Haeg was like the end of a dependable long-term relationship. Haeg was there from the start.
The Colts selected Haeg in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of North Dakota State. In 35 starts over four years, Indy used him mostly on the interior during his early playing days, but later in his career he held more of a depth role. What makes him a cut above the rest is his versatility: Haeg has started at four (technically five) different positions over the entirety of his career. Twenty-two games at right tackle, nine at right guard, two at left guard, one at left tackle, and one game as an extra tackle in a heavy package on the first snap of the game in Week 13 of the 2018 season against the Jaguars.
His versatility made him a valuable asset in Indy, and as much as the Colts wanted to keep him, he signed with Tampa Bay in 2020. Whether he wasn’t getting the minutes he wanted or he just wanted to win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady, Haeg’s departure left a hole in Indy’s offensive depth (and heart) that wasn’t so easily mended. The Colts are currently hoping their seventh-round draft pick, Will Fries, will exude some of that Haeg versatility, but only time will tell.
Weren’t you happy, Joe? Weren’t you happy doing the keg stand celebration with Quenton Nelson? Why’d you have to leave, huh?
Haeg most recently signed with Pittsburgh for the 2021 season, and a potential Colts’ victory over the Steelers can maim two exes with one arrow. It’s the ultimate clap-back: We don’t need you. We’re doing just fine — no, better — on our own.