Earlier this offseason, Jim Irsay was adamant in declaring that a new golden era of Indianapolis Colts football is on the horizon and will last for the next decade.
Of course, the previous golden era — that featured stars like Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Dwight Freeney and Reggie Wayne, among others — lasted approximately 10 years and brought home a championship in 2006.
Fans in Indianapolis will be hoping this current collection of premier talent will achieve similar success, and no one can deny that the proper foundation has been laid.
In the meantime, however, Colts fans will have to settle for laughing at the hilarious comment from a wideout who was on that championship team.
On Monday, Manning paid tribute to Demaryius Thomas’ retirement, declaring that he’s never played with anyone as physically imposing as the 33-year-old.
Clearly feeling that Manning was disrespecting his athletic prowess, former Colts star Brandon Stokley (remember him?) responded with a perfect joke.
He must’ve forgot about the 5 years we were teammates https://t.co/CCvN0l5HRm
— Brandon Stokley (@bstokley14) June 29, 2021
Colts WR Brandon Stokley had a great response to Peyton Manning’s comments on Demaryius Thomas’ retirement.
Manning and Thomas, of course, were teammates in Denver from 2012 to 2015. During that span, the now-retired receiver racked up three Pro Bowl nods, which were fully deserved given he averaged 100.5 catches for 1,446 yards and 10.2 touchdowns in those years.
To put it simply, Thomas was one of the most physically-dominant WRs in the league for about a six- or seven-year stretch. Needless to say that the 6-foot, 190-pound Stokley paled in comparison to Thomas in that department during their playing careers.
While Stokley didn’t accomplish nearly as much as Thomas did from a production standpoint, he lasted a whopping 15 seasons in the NFL and is a three-time champ. Sorely lacking dominant physical attributes or not, not many wideouts can say they’ve won three Super Bowls.
There’s a reason Manning called Stokley “one of the best teammates” he’s ever had after he announced his retirement back in 2013. Not only was Stokley a great locker room guy, but the fact he lasted 15 years as a slot WR (think about how many huge hits he took coming across the middle of the field) just speaks to why he was so beloved in Indianapolis.
As it turns out, however, Stokley is also capable of cracking the occasional hilarious joke. Who knew? Let’s hope Manning, whom we all know is hysterically funny, comes across Stokley’s comment and delivers an even more humorous reply.
Colts fans will love sneak preview of Peyton Manning’s bust
Indianapolis Colts fans will love this sneak preview of QB Peyton Manning's Pro Football Hall of Fame bust in Canton, Ohio.