T.Y. Hilton was an Indianapolis Colts great for many years. That seems like ages ago, even after he spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys, which is why some might be surprised that Hilton has officially announced his retirement, three seasons after he last played.
Hilton spent 10 seasons with Indy and had five seasons with 1,083 receiving yards or more. He led the league in the category in 2016 with 1,448. Is he a Hall of Famer? No, but he was important when it mattered, and scored 53 touchdowns for Indianapolis.
The oddness comes in that Hilton needed to go on social media to announce his retirement, as he hadn't played in the NFL since 2022, and many might have rightfully assumed he had already called it quits. He only played three games for the Cowboys in 2022, and just 10 for Indy in 2021.
Indianapolis Colts great T.Y. Hilton (un)officially calls it a career
He was a four-time Pro Bowler during his career and an absolute class individual. Even his final goodbye was classy. He thanked Jim Irsay, the Colts, heck...he even mentioned the Cowboys, though he shouldn't have felt the strong urge to do so. Hilton was a good guy, and he still is.
In his last goodbye, Hilton wrote on X, in part, "Thank you to Mr. Irsay, his family, and the entire Colts organization for believing in a kid from Miami and giving me the opportunity to live out my dream wearing the horseshoe."
Of course, Indianapolis Colts fans will be just as appreciative of the third-round draft pick in 2012 who turned himself into one of the best wide receivers in team history, as well as one of the most underrated in the league while he was playing. He was quick and fast, and definitely sure-handed, and was great with fans.
👻🥹👻📝🥹👻 pic.twitter.com/IgJS8dENZh
— TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) March 18, 2026
Sure, it seems like it has been many years since he stopped playing because it has been. That doesn't mean Hilton controlled his own narrative. His social media post does just that. He went out (officially) his way, and he earned that.
What comes next? Who knows? He hasn't been playing professional football, and that wasn't expected in 2026, either. As for Colts fans, the memory survives and always will. T.Y. Hilton was great for Indy, and Indy was great for him.