Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - INDIANAPOLIS COLTS' 10 Most MEMORABLE Moments of Last 10 Years, for Locked On's 10th Anniversary!

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

For Locked On's 10th anniversary, we look back at the Indianapolis Colts' 10 most memorable moments of the last decade. Where does Andrew Luck's retirement fall in line with the Sauce Gardner trade, o...r the meltdown in Minnesota?   EVERYDAYER CLUB If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub TEXT WITH JAKE AND ZACH Join the Locked On Colts insider program to text with Jake and Zach, ask any questions you have, and get updates on news and rumors from the Colts' facility, locker rooms, stadium, and practice field! https://joinsubtext.com/c/lockedoncolts   Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms: 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/ 📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/   Follow Jake's written work on roundtable.io/sports/nfl/colts/ and Zach's on si.com/nfl/colts/, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, and @LockedOnColts!   Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The biggest stage in world soccer is here, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit FANDUEL DOT COM to get started now.   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! RugietGet 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhlRugiet. Performance medicine for men. Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.  FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Square If you’re starting a business or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://square.com/go/LockedOnNFL. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:01 It's the 10-year anniversary of the Locked-on Podcast Network. So for a special show today, we're going to review the top 10 most memorable storylines from the Colts over the past decade. Let's get to it. You are Locked-on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to Locked-on Colts. I'm Zach Hicks. That's Jake Arthur.
Starting point is 00:00:34 And today's episode is brought to you by fans. The biggest stage in the world soccer is here. Let there be goals on Fandul, visit Fandle.com to get started now. On today's show, we are diving into our 10-year anniversary of the Locked-on podcast network. Jake and I have not been with the network all 10 years. We've been doing this show for, this is about to be our fifth year with the show, although I was part of the network actually around the time of his inception back in 2017, actually. So I have been with Locked on in sporadically, I guess,
Starting point is 00:01:06 then. But a huge congrats store network. We love everything about it. And going on 10 years now is just an impressive feat nonetheless. And to kind of branch off that and bring it to a show topic, Jake and I are going to look at the top 10 most memorable moments and storylines from the Colts over this past decade. Now, the stipulation for this episode is this is not, you know, like Jake and I are both like writers, right? We're both be guys, writers. We work on the media side of it. So a lot of these storylines don't really have to do with what happened on the field because this Gold's team has been surrounded by drama like some like Jersey Shore level drama, I guess, in the past decade. So we're going to be mostly looking at stuff off the field, but we don't want to just
Starting point is 00:01:48 completely neglect things that happened on the field. There are plenty of memorable moments that happened on the football field over the past decade from big wins against the New England Patriots. I mean, I think of the almost walk-off win against the Patriots in 2024, where they went for too late and we're able to pull off that victory. Jonathan Taylor's long touchdown run against the Patriots in 2021. Ty Wighton's super long, like weird touchdown catch against the Texans in 2017, where he made a guy miss and fell down and then stood back up and ran for a touchdown. Obviously, we have to think of those.
Starting point is 00:02:20 And then even some big wins against the Carolina Panthers that had really weird moments, like Kenny Moore's two-pick six game and also Naim Hines two-pump return touchdown game. So a lot of great moments over the last decade on the field. But Jake, this is the Colts. Again, like I said, we are like Jersey Shore, essentially. So we have to talk about the off the field and just moments and storylines. And I think number one, obviously, the where were you when it happened is the Andrew Luck retirement of 2019.
Starting point is 00:02:46 There were a lot of Colts fans in attendance because it was wrongfully broken by a national guy who wanted to get his clicks. So luck was booed on the football field at a preseason game. But really was like that, that boom, where were you type moment of the last decade for the Colts. Yeah, without a doubt. I don't think Andrew Luck retiring is the craziest thing, just again, because it's this team, but it's the biggest story that's happened easily. A guy who, you know, just coming up, 2018 was like the resurgence of Andrew Luck,
Starting point is 00:03:19 like the best you ever seen in play. He had this perfect marriage with Frank Reich and everything. And you think, all right, this team is going to go on to like become something actually special. Like this is what they drafted him to be. And then boom, what amounts to. what you think is a calf injury, ankle injury. I know that was kind of evolving as the offseason went on,
Starting point is 00:03:38 but that's what takes out this great player and has him retire at like 29, just like Barry Sanders did. You know, Calvin Johnson retires earlier, but it was shocking. Like I was there that night, a preseason game. I remember, you know, we all, everyone is subscribed to the tweets from Adam Schaefter. As the tweets, you know, roll in throughout the press box, everyone, you know, just in complete all and just wonderment of what the heck is going on.
Starting point is 00:04:09 I think that's the quickest a game on the field has stopped mattering ever. And just like running down and getting down to the locker room area and getting into the press conference room and everything to cover this thing. It was, it was incredibly memorable. That's something I will never forget that as long as I would. Yeah, and you guys are going to notice the theme of this episode is not memorable in a great way because the Colts haven't been that successful. And again, it's been a lot of drama. So most of these are like negative memorable for the Colts, like things you want to forget.
Starting point is 00:04:44 But I think one thing that will always be immortalized in this Colts fan base is just that picture of Andrew Luck at the podium after the announcement and, you know, talking about his thought process through it and just how dejected and like depressed he looked about like. It's just something that's going to stick with people for a long time. It was such a monumental moment in all the wrong ways for this Colts organization. And it kind of started where we are now with this team, right? Where only one playoff appearance since then, you know, it's not the curse of the Bambino, but it feels kind of like the curse of Andrew Lowe at this point because they haven't been able to get over that hump since he retired. But going to another very memorable moment, almost for like the chaoticness of it and just
Starting point is 00:05:24 the funny, how funny it was. And I think it was peak, it was kind of like peak Jim Ursay in a lot of ways. but Jonathan Taylor in the Jim Ursae bus in 2023 during Jonathan Taylor's holdout. I think it's another massive memorable moment. I think Jim Ursay and Jake, you have to correct me if I'm wrong here. Didn't Ersay have something about like we're not guaranteed to live tomorrow or something like that? Yeah, he can't. So we see the bus is there.
Starting point is 00:05:50 We see Jonathan Taylor goes on there. We know it's Jim Resey's bus. Everyone gets off and Jim does his, you know, press availability. And he basically talks about what him and John. Jonathan were talking about in there. And he's like, you know, if, if I, if I die tomorrow and you retire today, the NFL will go on or something like that. Right.
Starting point is 00:06:09 And it was, it was a pretty bizarre little presser there. But it ultimately resulted in Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade like five seconds later. Right. And then, you know, Jim Mersey is sending a blast to everyone in the media. Like, we are not trading this guy. And it was like, how much more chaotic can this moment get? for us it resulted in one of our biggest shows ever. Yeah, and it was just something that, you know, coming off the disaster that was
Starting point is 00:06:34 2022, and we're going to talk more about 2022 here soon. Don't worry, guys. But coming off of that disaster, you thought you were finally getting some stability, right? Getting Shane Stuyken in there coming off of that Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles. You just drafted your franchise quarterback or what you hoped to be your franchise quarterback and Anthony Richardson. And this was just like such a chaotic thing that didn't need to happen in the all. season. But it was so Colts. It was so Jim Ursay and like just on brand for everything.
Starting point is 00:07:03 But yeah, I mean, it ended up all working out, right? Jonathan Taylor signed his extension a couple of months later after being on the pub list and missing a good chunk of the season. And he's still, you know, kicking with the Colts and still doing a lot of great things for the Indianapolis Colts on the field. So really weird chaotic thing there, but not really crazy when it comes to the Colts, I guess. It's not even, I think, the biggest. another one though and this one again just a big moment for all the wrong reasons i think anthony richardson's shoulder injury in 2023 is another one where it was like all the breath in that stadium kind of went out you know where it's like your young quarterback who i'm not saying that he was
Starting point is 00:07:45 lighting the world on fire in those first couple games but we all felt pretty good about richardson in those first few games of the 2023 season there was the big comeback against the rams there were great moments here and there, some big wins. And you thought that, hey, this guy, you know, he's still raw, but there's some potential there with Richardson to be the guy. And then we saw just his reaction to the shoulder injury. It was on throwing shoulder. And then ultimately, when they announced that it was going to be a season ending injury
Starting point is 00:08:12 that was going to take part of, like, take part of his off season away from him as well. It was just this very dejected, like, moment where it's like, man, like, this team cannot escape the curse, right? They cannot escape all the bad fortune they've had because even when they took this quarterback as high as they did, he goes down with an injury, what, five games into his NFL career. And it was a major, major injury as well. It wasn't just, you know, a Nick and Bruce here. It was, you know, the end of his rookie season. And ultimately it felt like, feels like now, I guess, looking back, like the beginning of the end of his time with the Colts.
Starting point is 00:08:45 Yeah, I think just the moment in itself was a big deal because, you know, it was the rookie quarterback is your starter. by week five, or it was like he had played four games and it was, you know, week five or whatever it was, he was already done for the year. So that in itself is big, but it's everything that it's meant since then. It was kind of a glimpse of things to come. You know, the guy has dealt with injuries throughout each three of his seasons. Last year, he wasn't even playing and got hurt. And, you know, it also meant, you know, he was studying obsessively, leading up to this and everything. And I think just at that point, that's where you see the concerns with him being bought in and the work ethic of a quarterback and all this thing. So, like, this had so
Starting point is 00:09:34 many layers to it. This injury was just so problematic just from keeping him off the field, disengaging him from the involvement that a quarterback normally is when they're active in a game week. It was, it meant everything in the world, I think, for this guy's career. Now, maybe he would of, you know, in a couple more years, panned out to not be the star that everyone saw, you know, but I think this really fast-tracked what became the demise of Anthony Richardson, unfortunately. Yeah, I do think this moment's more like crazy in hindsight,
Starting point is 00:10:08 just thinking again, where since then it just hasn't been the same with the overall feelings between the Colts and Richardson, and now we're at this state where he's got a trade request in and trying to be on another team. So I think this is like bigger in hindsight, but coming up, guys, we're going to talk about some other great moments, I guess, with, you know, quotations around it,
Starting point is 00:10:28 sarcastically great moments of the Colts the past 10 years because we have so many more down this trip down memory lane coming up in just a second. Support for today's episode comes from Square, the business platform helping sellers become neighborhood favorites. Whether you're preparing for a busy season or managing everyday demand, Square helps keep your business moving with everything from payments and online orders to inventory, staff management, and more all in one place. So business owners can spend less time managing tools and more time focusing on their customers. Squarer helps simplify the everyday work behind running a business while giving owners the tools that they need to keep growing. And it's something you notice when you're supporting local businesses that you love.
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Starting point is 00:12:36 ad-free audio episodes and access to a group chat with other listeners of the show as well as Zach and myself. Just tap the link in the show notes or go to lock down Colts.com to join today. All right, Zach, so this next one, luckily live, I didn't really have to be super engaged in it because as has become the norm with me, a late season Colts game always gets flexed to my daughter's birthday party. So this one, I had to watch it later. You know what I mean? But this is none other than the Colts epic collapse
Starting point is 00:13:08 against the Minnesota Vikings when they were up 33 to zero and still somehow managed to lose the game. Yep, still the biggest comeback, I believe, in NFL history at this point. The Colts owning that record, or I guess being part of that record, Kurt Cousins leading that masterful comeback. And I think the funniest part about this comeback is the Vikings, like utter lack of respect for the Colts in this game, because the only reason why it was 33 to nothing at any point was because the Vikings
Starting point is 00:13:37 went for it on like fourth down in their own territory like three times to start the game and didn't convert on any of them because they were just like, it's the Colts, we can come back, I guess. I'm assuming that's what they thought, right? Because they ultimately did come back. The Colts had the weirdest route to game. getting to the 33 points. It was like a pick six and a safety in there and a couple short touchdowns.
Starting point is 00:13:57 But then when the Vikings started their comeback, I think we could all feel it in the air that it was going to happen with how that season was going for the Colts. So big shout out to friend of the show, Andrew Moore, for jumping on with me immediately after that show. I believe that is still our biggest post game live, like episode that we've ever had on the channel
Starting point is 00:14:16 because it was a Saturday game. Everybody in the NFL world was watching it, and we had other fan bases coming in here to last. at us. And we had a good time with it because like at that point, the season was already over. There was no shot of playoffs. And, and, you know, it was the craziness of that 2020 season. So it will forever live in infamy for sure with Colts fans. But I think it was the perfect way to sum up that season for the Colts where it was like, yeah, this is just the way this season is going. Just no fight down the stretch. And that team had completely given up. It's crazy.
Starting point is 00:14:48 They brought back, what, 20 of 22 starters after that season for the next year. Because they wanted them to be pissed. Yeah. And I guess, I mean, they were so pissed. They got to 9 and 8 the next year. So I guess they were pissed enough. But yeah. It's their best seasons since then.
Starting point is 00:15:03 That's true. That's true. But yeah, the Vikings collapse was absolutely hilarious. I don't even think that one's really upsetting for many Colts fans because it was just where we were with that season. It was kind of just like, okay, yeah, this is where the year is at for us. Yeah, that's at the table for the Cowboys fourth quarter. collapse where the Cowboys, I think, scored like a franchise record of points in the fourth quarter.
Starting point is 00:15:27 I think they had 33 points or something in the fourth quarter, which the Cowboys, is one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. They had a record performance against the Colts, so not their first collapse that year. Let's move along to something that's, the story is not written on it yet, though. This is maybe somewhat positive, Zach. We'll take a little positive spin. And that is the sauce gardener trade. So Chris Ballard has made trades before.
Starting point is 00:15:53 He's even made a big trade to Forrest Buckner for the 13th overall pick in 2020. That was significant. You know, Buckner was coming off his first all-pro season. That was a first-round pick. That was a big one, right? But two first-round picks and A.D. Mitchell for Sauce Gardner, who wasn't really widely talked about as being on the trade block, that was the biggest trade, the biggest trade that the Colts have made in quite some time.
Starting point is 00:16:19 one of their biggest in franchise history. And again, like I said, the story's not written on that one. We really get our first great look at it this year. Gassas is with the team the entire offseason. He's entrenched as a member of the Colts, and he's not just like flying in by the seat of his pants midseason like he was last year. Yeah, but I can say confidently of the first part of that trade is a failure, right? Because the first round pick has already parlayed over to the Jets.
Starting point is 00:16:45 Because part of that trade was about going all in last season with how well the team was playing, felt like they needed that corner to put them over the top, and they ended up losing like pretty much every single game outside of the Atlanta Falcons game. They lost every single game after that trade. So it was a disaster for the first year, like about as bad as it could possibly go, not because like Sals Gardner was just bad, but he was just hurt. And then they lost their quarterback and they lost every game because like at the end of the day. So, you know, it went as bad as it could the first year. But yeah, the complete story is not written right now. We'll see how Gardner fairs this next season. Still a very good corner,
Starting point is 00:17:23 but certainly the most out on the limb that Chris Ballard has ever gone in his career. And the first bit of, you know, return on investment hasn't been great. So hopefully this next year it can come back to normal. And I think anything short of playoffs in Stoss Gardner being like at least a Pro Bowl level corner is kind of a monumental failure for this trade. Like there has to be high expectations because of what they gave up. And that's what the Colts are expecting here. We'll see. You know, the story's not written on sauce gardener, but we'll see how it ages more so after this upcoming season. One more thing from this past year that we really have to talk about, or I guess one of multiple more things we have to talk about from this past season.
Starting point is 00:18:04 But Philip Rivers coming out of retirement. Yet again, I think Jake was at his daughter's birthday. No, it was actually his son's birth. That's when Ben was being born. Yeah. So Jake's son was being born. So he got to miss the just chaotic week that was the unretirement of Philip Rivers. But oh my gosh, the media storm of Philip Rivers coming out of retirement, a guy who had been retired since the 2020 season, the Colts looked to him to hopefully get a win or two down the stretch to get into the playoffs. It didn't end up happening for them, but not really because of Philip Rivers. Like the Seattle Seahawks game, I thought he played as well as you could possibly play. He was coming off of five years of rest,
Starting point is 00:18:44 right five years of not playing and looking like you know everyone's dad out there with the beer belly and just not even remotely in football shape going against the eventual Super Bowl champs in Seattle in a rainy game right the second best defense in football and they were within 40 seconds of winning that game um i thought the defense played really well rivers did as best he could it's just you need every single bounce to go your way to win that game and they came up like one bounce short right the Seattle kicker made like six kicks. Like if he just misses one, you win that game. Then the next week he had that fantastic performance against the San Francisco 49ers
Starting point is 00:19:21 where he looked like, you know, Philip Rivers of years ago that came up short because the Colts defense collapsed in that one. And then it eventually did come undone against the Jackson Jaguars because the Cinderella story wasn't going to last the whole year, right? A quarterback can't just come off of five years of being an active and be like above average, right? It's just not possible. But to what we got out of Philip Rivers,
Starting point is 00:19:44 I think is as good as you can ever expect out of his situation. And he was just same old Philip Rivers coming in here. The all shucks and all that kind of stuff. It was fun. And yeah, what a weird way to end last season. Philip Rivers coming out of retirement. But what a moment. And I really like this would have been number two.
Starting point is 00:20:04 If we were ranking these like one through 10, this would have been number two if you would have beat the Seahawks and they would have made the playoff. It just ultimately we didn't get the special story. We came up just a little bit short of the special story with Philip Rivers. Yeah, no, that was incredibly intriguing. And again, he wasn't the reason that they failed down the stretch. Like, they just didn't get a complete team effort.
Starting point is 00:20:26 But selfishly, you know, us in the media, we really enjoyed this because we didn't really get to experience Philip Rivers the first time. It was the COVID year. Everything was over Zoom. And we just kind of got robbed of how good he is. is speaking to the media. So I will always appreciate that. Getting to talk to Philip Rivers, same old Philip Rivers,
Starting point is 00:20:46 but like to the point of like, I don't need this anymore because I've just coming in off of being retired for a few years. It was, it was really, it was a good experience. But yeah, not not even the most crazy thing that's happened in the last 10 years. Yeah, no, it was a really fun moment though. And again, I really wish they could have capped it off of the win against the Seahawks. But Philip River is very fun to watch last year. especially, again, seeing the mental side of the thing still be there for a guy who had been out of the league for five years was really cool to see.
Starting point is 00:21:17 But coming up, guys, we still have four more moments to go over from the Colts these past 10 years, including another moment from last year. And of course, the media circus that was 2022. We're going to talk about that all here in just a second. But first, workplace chaos can show up fast. The problem is that finding the right candidate can take a lot of time that most businesses just can't afford. That's where indeed sponsored jobs come. in. Indeed, sponsored jobs helps you reach candidates who actually fit what you're looking for based on skills, experience, and location. Finding the right person can make all the difference, whether it's building a business or building a winning team.
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Starting point is 00:24:15 From the opening whistle to the final kick, let there be goals on Fanduel. Visit Fanduel.com to get started now. All right, welcome back, everybody. We are going through the 10 most unforgettable Colts moments of the last decade in celebration of the Lockdown Podcast Network's 10th anniversary. Let's get you up to speed real quick, though. We've got Andrew Luck retiring, Jonathan Taylor and Jim Ursa's little meeting on the bus that resulted in Jonathan Taylor's trade request. Anthony Richardson's shoulder injury as a rookie.
Starting point is 00:24:51 The Colts collapsed against the Vikings, the Soss Gardner trade, Philip Rivers unretiring at I think 43 years old to come back for the last quarter of the season last year. And now that brings us to our next moment, Zach, which it feels like ancient history at this point. but don't forget that Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts head coaching position back in 2018, which led to the Colts ultimately hiring Frank Reich. Yeah, I actually didn't cover this moment. I jumped on the Colts, like covering the Colts a couple months later when Frank Reich was already the head coach. So this is more of, I guess, like a you thing here, Jake, but I think everyone in the sports media world heard about this because it's so weird how this all happened,
Starting point is 00:25:32 where there's so many, like, reports that have come out, so much speculation that have come out. out and why it ultimately happened. But at the end of the day, the Colts agreed to a deal with Josh McDaniels, and he backed out and went back to the Patriots. I believe he became the Raiders coach soon after that, like the next offseason and failed there like he typically does. And guess where he is right now? He's back with the Patriots.
Starting point is 00:25:53 Like he always is. So, yeah, Josh McDaniels. The snake was born, I guess, in 2018. And what a way to start off. Or I guess it was an early part of the Chris Ballard era, right? and kind of set the tone for what would be like the next decade of Chris Ballard as the general manager. Yeah, that was crazy. I just remember it was like the day before the press conference was supposed to be had and everything.
Starting point is 00:26:16 Like it was all literally unofficially signed, sealed, and delivered. That's the last thing that had to be done was cross the T's and dot the I's. And I guess McDaniels went back to the Patriots facility to tie up loose ends, collect his things, whatever. And Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, you know, kidnap him and don't let him out of the building essentially. And it's funny because, you know, some of the assurances you hear they made them, you know, you're the head coach in waiting. You're going to be the highest pay to C, all this stuff.
Starting point is 00:26:43 He's still left for the Raiders, like you said, afterwards. And then where he always ends up right back in New England, just like all those other former Belichick, former coaches wind up. So that one was crazy. That's where we got the classic phrase, the rivalry is back on. Right. And it just, you know, everyone around here already hated the people. Patriots already hated Josh McDaniels.
Starting point is 00:27:06 You let your guard down a little bit. It's like, okay, maybe this guy brings some of the Patriot magic here. And then, you know, the Josh McDaniels snake moniker is born at that moment as well. But that's, that was a crazy one. Again, the Colts are just home to so many things you don't ever see. You've seen players do this in free agency before. Like they, during the tampering period, they agree somewhere and they back out and go somewhere else. You don't really ever see that with coaches or anything.
Starting point is 00:27:34 but if it's going to happen, it's going to happen in Indy. And that is what happened here. Yeah. And you know, speaking of things you never hear before, the Colts also hired an ESPN analyst to be their interim head coach in 2020. Jim Ursay went out of his comfort zone and fired Frank Reich in the middle of that season. And instead of turning to, I don't know, Bubba Ventrone, Reggie Wayne. Gus Bradley, who has been a head coach.
Starting point is 00:27:58 Yeah, instead of turning to any of those guys on the roster, he went to Jeff Saturday. And using the interim. head coach burst. The Colts won their first game with Jeff Saturday, and then it was just an absolute disaster down the stretch. The Colts were like a minus like 120 in point differential down the stretch, had the biggest blown lead in the history of football, which we already talked about, had the Cowboys collapse, had multiple blowout losses down the stretch. That team completely gave up on Jeff Saturday, and it was awful. But I think the most memorable part of all that, Jake, the Jim Ursay Press conference defending the choice of Jeff Saturday. And I will say,
Starting point is 00:28:34 this to anyone who thinks that that was an intentional tank job by the Colts by bringing Saturday in, go watch that press conference again and tell me that Jim Ursa is just acting to sell the tank job. He firmly believed Jeff Saturday was going to turn that team around and it did not whatsoever. But I think if we rank the top 10 list, Jake, that would be number two for me behind the luck retirement because everything around the Jeff Saturday interim head coach stint was just dreadful. It was so bad. But it was almost like a media circus. like how funny it was. So it is such a weird moment to think back on. But it's something that happened
Starting point is 00:29:09 in that 2022 season. Yeah, that's another day. I will never forget, you know, going to the facility to do some TV stuff because Frank Reichs fired. And then on my way back home, Jeff Saturday, what? He's in our like, sorry, I have to go back. And then the press conference that evening, just insane. But yeah, yeah, there was no, there was no acting to that. That was, if I, if I can give a word for the final months that came after that, it's disconnection. Just a complete disconnection between what the owner thinks is possible with this new coach and what this coach is not getting based on how relationships are supposed to work in a building and how things are actually run in this business.
Starting point is 00:29:54 Just a complete disconnect. Yeah, it didn't work. Didn't work. Not well received. No. But that one was absolutely insane. Yeah. There was no thought process behind that.
Starting point is 00:30:08 No. I mean, again, his only coaching experience came from high school. And I don't even think that high school team was all that good either. Yeah. So it's just like a guy that you knew and you trusted their football opinions. You're going to make him the head coach. Yeah. And then also on top of that, the first two guys that reached out to call plays after Frank Reich was fired, both said no.
Starting point is 00:30:30 and then they gave it to Parks Frazier, who was the assistant to the QB coach or whatever, the assistant to Frank Reich, I believe is who it was. It was never going to work out. So, yeah, crazy moment here. And, you know, I guess keeping in line with Jim Ursa, this is kind of getting a more somber tone here. We won't go too long on this part here. But another memorable moment is just Jim Ursa's ultimate passing in 2025 after fighting with illnesses, the final couple years of his life, such a character, such a funny dude.
Starting point is 00:31:00 just a joy to cover. And for all the ups and downs of the Jim Ursae era with the Colts, owning the Colts, by all accounts, a very good guy. And I think, you know, we'll be missed for sure. I mean, especially the character that is Jim Ursay would miss, but Jim Ursay will be missed. So, I mean, ultimately, that is a big memorable moment in the Colts franchise history was just Jim Ursey's passing in 2025.
Starting point is 00:31:25 Yeah, not something you immediately saw coming, but again, he had been kind of in the background for the last couple years leading into it. Very, very disappointing, but, you know, he took steps to leave the franchise in the right hands when ultimately that did happen. And, you know, Carly and Kalyn, they got this thing rolling. They have a vision for it. And obviously, again, very, very somber, but he had the foresight to do what was right, you know.
Starting point is 00:31:57 Yeah. Yeah, and big shout out to all the charity work he did. throughout his entire time with the Colts, but especially the last couple of years of kicking the stigma and a couple other good things. So I know this is mostly like a light and lighthearted episode here talking about some of these crazy moments, but we wanted to give the due credit to Jim Ursa,
Starting point is 00:32:13 like we always do on this show. One final one, I guess just for the craziness of this Colts team, one that kind of can be forgotten, but was insane in the moment. Anthony Richardson and Mooney Ward, both getting injured pre-game against the Arizona Cardinals. When vibes were at their highest, this Colts team was rolling,
Starting point is 00:32:30 Mooney Ward running into Drew Ogletree pregame and getting a very severe concussion that put him on IR and basically ruined the rest of his season. And then Anthony Richardson having the freak workout injury pregame that knocked him out for the rest of the year and led to the Colts saying that he had vision problems all the way up until like two months ago. So I mean, these weren't even minor injuries that happened to these two guys. These were major, major injuries to both players before the game even started against the Arizona Cardinals this. year. And man, we have so many moments from 2025, but what a crazy calendar year, 2025 was for the Indianapolis Colts, Jake. Yeah, just unbelievable. Like you, you kind of learn to just roll with the punches when it's the Colts. Like, whatever new information you're given, you're just like, all right, like, what? Okay. We're going with this.
Starting point is 00:33:20 But like, again, I will remember that day vividly as well, because like I'm always there very early on game days up in the press box. You hear that Mooney gets hurt. hurt like because i think fans are tweeting at us that he got hurt and everything i'm like i don't know anything about that's like i'm sending out feelers to people with the team like hey what's going on by the time i get all that wrapped up and reported on and everything well here's information about anthony richardson now it's just like this team is unintentionally a circus sometimes um but yeah there god we still left some stuff on the cutting room floor as well you know kind of tongue and cheek i mentioned to you like the market
Starting point is 00:34:00 Sanchez incident didn't even make the show today. And that was pretty insane. It involves the Colts because he was in time to cover Colts game. But man, like this 2025 was the year that just kept on giving. Yeah, it was an insane year. And it's been an insane decade for the Indianapolis Colts. So congrats to Locked on Podcast Network for their 10 year anniversary. Not a congrats to the Colts for the last 10 years. Congrats to us on all the content, though. Yeah, that's true. Congrats to the Colts for giving us all the content, I guess. That's where we get. But outside of that, hopefully the next 10 years are better for the Colts because we know the next 10 years
Starting point is 00:34:33 can be better for Locked on Podcast Network even from this great mark they're at right now. But man, what a crazy decade for the Colts. You guys let us know in the comments section. What's the most memorable moment of the last 10 years for you with Indianapolis Colts? I want to thank you guys for tuning in today to Locked on Colts. We'll be back yet again tonight with the Colts squad show
Starting point is 00:34:52 where we bring back another top 10 where Jake, Derek, Alan, and I all talk about our top 10 most impactful Colts players of the past decade to celebrate again this 10-year anniversary of the Locked-on podcast network. So if you don't already, make sure you're following at Lockdown Colts at Jack Hicks 2 all on social media. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get us ad-free plus members-only Discord access and much more. Head to Lockdowncults.com to join the club. We'll catch you guys back here later tonight on the Locked On Colts Squad Show.

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