It's been a long time since the Indianapolis Colts secured their first Super Bowl since coming to the Circle City. That team was 2006 with Peyton Manning as the quarterback and Tony Dungy as the head coach, both of whom became Colts Ring of Honor members and NFL Hall of Famers.
That was a special squad that made it to Super Bowl XLI to defeat the Chicago Bears, 29-17. That wasn't just Manning's first Super Bowl victory, but also Dungy became the first black coach to secure the Lombardi Trophy.
Other notable players on that team included Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, as well as Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark. As for the defense, names like Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Gary Brackett, Cato June, and Bob Sanders provided incredible stopping power throughout the playoffs, culminating in the big game.
For CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo, Indy's 2006 squad made it onto the list of the top NFL teams of the modern era. DeArdo ranks the top 30, placing Indianapolis at 19th. DeArdo begins by breaking down some facts about that specific team.
-15 wins, 4 losses
-Won four playoff games while holding first two playoff opponents to 14 total points
-Offense featured five Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison
DeArdo continues with a brief description of this special team for the Colts.
"On paper, the '05 Colts were the better team. But that team fell short against the Steelers in the divisional round, partly because of their kicker. The '06 Colts fixed that by acquiring Adam Vinatieri, arguably the greatest kicker in league history," said DeArdo. "The former Patriot made five field goals in the Colts' 15-6 playoff win over Baltimore. A week later, he helped his new team defeat his old one as the Colts overcame a 21-3 deficit against New England."
I’m at the Night of Champions in Indianapolis celebrating the Colts 2006 Super Bowl team. It’s an amazing night with a sellout crowd and some fantastic men. pic.twitter.com/TBxN8TxA4B
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) February 25, 2025
That particular year, Manning led the NFL in touchdown passes (31), then-rookie Addai rushed for 1,081 yards and scored eight all-purpose touchdowns, Harrison secured 95 catches for 1,366 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, Wayne caught 86 passes for 1,310 receiving yards and nine scores, and Clark notched 30 catches for 367 receiving yards and four scores.
Defensively, Freeney and Mathis combined for 15.0 sacks, Brackett collected 122 tackles, June hauled in three picks and tallied 142 tackles, and Sanders, while hurt most of 2006, returned just in time to collect 28 tackles, two pass deflections, a pick, and a fumble forced in only four regular season games.
This Colts team was the blueprint for what Indy must compile as a roster to compete for a Super Bowl. It's been a whopping 18 seasons since the Colts secured an NFL championship, but the current team is talented, promising, and has the potential to finally make the playoffs to have a chance at the Lombardi Trophy.
Shane Steichen will fight to get the quarterback situation handled between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones to give his team the best possible chance to establish winning ways. While the team looks great, the field general must be figured out, or else it might be all for not.
Expect the Colts to be at their absolute best in a season that holds all the cards for this team's future.
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