3 former Colts playing on NFL Championship Sunday

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts are painfully aware that their team missed the playoffs in 2024. While technically speaking, they came close, it was a season filled with turmoil that included open criticism of the team from multiple players.

So while Colts fans don't have their team being represented in the playoffs, there are still some Colts alums to root for in this week's NFL Championship Sunday. Four teams will be battling it out for their chance to play in Super Bowl LIX: the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Washington Commanders, and the Buffalo Bills vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

There are no former Colts players with the Bills right now, but Indianapolis is represented on all three other teams.

Andrew Wylie, Washington Commanders

Wylie, an offensive lineman, is by far the biggest name on this list. He played in college for the Eastern Michigan Eagles, and had a brief stint with the Colts after being signed at an undrafted free agent in 2017. However, he didn't last long; the Colts signed him to their practice squad, and by September, let him go.

He bounced around to several more teams before landing with the Chiefs, making the active roster in 2018. He had a standout year there, and was given the Mack Lee Hill Award for the team's best first year player. He remained with the Chiefs through three Super Bowls, and was a starter during Super Bowl LVII, which the Chiefs won; due to his time in Kansas City, Wylie is a two-time Super Bowl champion.

In 2023, however, he moved on, and signed a three-year deal with the Commanders. He's set to potentially play in his fourth Super Bowl, and though his play has at times been criticized as being inconsistent, he's still an in-demand player who has shown improvement over the 2024 season.

Darius Rush, Kansas City Chiefs

After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Rush was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was waived in August, and had stints with the Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Chiefs again in 2024.

Rush has primarily played on the practice squad, but he has rotated in at cornerback, and is known to be an asset on special teams. He has gained a reputation as an incredible athlete with a lot of potential.

Isaiah Rodgers, Philadelphia Eagles

Rodgers played for the University of Massachusetts in college, where he was named to Pro Football Focus' First-team All-American Team as a senior cornerback. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and had a standout year; in addition to a 101-yard kick return for a touchdown, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

In 2022, he played through Week 16, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury; his reputation would take an even bigger hit in 2023 when he was found to have violated the NFL's gambling policy. For that, he was suspended for the entirety of the 2023 season, and waived by the Colts.

Rodgers was signed by the Eagles in August of 2023, but didn't play at all due to his suspension. In 2024, however, he began mounting his comeback. Though Rodgers has primarily been a backup to Darius Slay, he started in Weeks 9 and 13, and performed well. In the playoffs, he went even further at restoring his name with some standout plays, including recovering a forced fumble by Jalen Carter that Rodgers returned for 40 yards. And according to his teammates in Philadelphia, Rodgers is a valued asset.

"Without Isaiah we wouldn’t be this far. When guys go down, you don’t see no kind of drop-off. He’s amazing at what he do, man. I’ve been telling him, if he was on another team, he’d be easily a starting corner. Easily. But he wanted to be here to learn from me, as he told me. He said he wanted to learn from me. "

Darius Slay

With Slay potentially leaving Philadelphia soon, Rodgers could very well see an increased role with the Eagles in the very near future.