During the month of July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will determine which three players deserve to be considered the faces of each franchise. For this series, we will only consider active players. In this edition, the Indianapolis Colts are the focus.
Faces of the Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck is not only one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the NFL right now, he’s one of the best at his position, period. That is why I put him in the top five when I ranked the top 12 quarterbacks entering the 2015 NFL season. The former Stanford Cardinal had huge shoes to fill when he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the number one overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. After Indianapolis cut future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning following his four neck surgeries, it was up to Luck to move the Colts forward. The talented young quarterback has taken Indianapolis to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, posting a record of 3-3 in the postseason. Last season he led the Colts to the AFC Championship game, where they lost to the New England Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
Luck does need to cut down on the turnovers, particularly in the postseason (nine touchdowns to 12 interceptions), but with his talent and intelligence he should be able to do just that. Adding running back Frank Gore should also help take some of the pressure off of Luck, who has been asked to throw the ball a lot since he entered the league. In 2014, he threw the ball 616 times (third most) for 4,761 yards (third most) in the regular season and he threw 40 touchdowns (first) and 16 interceptions. Luck is set to most likely become the highest-paid player in the NFL in the somewhat near future and he is one of the most recognizable players in the NFL.
T.Y. Hilton
T.Y. Hilton had himself a heck of a year in 2014 when he caught 82 balls for 1,345 yards and found the end zone seven times. Like his quarterback, Hilton was drafted by the Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft. But unlike Luck, who was drafted number one overall, the former Florida International Panther was drafted in the third round (92nd overall). Hilton is entering the final year of his rookie deal and he is set to make only $665,000 in 2015, which is an incredible bargain. But it is probably just a matter of time before the Colts and Hilton come to terms on a deal. Even if it is after the 2015 season concludes, Indianapolis will end up signing the talented wideout to a long-term deal.
Hilton is Luck’s favorite target and keeping him in Indy is the smart thing to do. Number 13 is one of the fastest and most talented wide receivers in the NFL and that is why I put him in the top five in my wide receiver rankings for the 2015 season. The Colts may no longer have wide receiver Reggie Wayne, but they brought in former Houston Texan receiver Andre Johnson and there is a good chance that Johnson produces at a high level. If he does, that could allow Hilton to be even more productive than he was in 2014, which could be scary for opposing defenses.
Robert Mathis
Robert Mathis is a talented linebacker who was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Alabama A&M. It was as recently as the 2013 season that Mathis led the NFL with 19.5 sacks while also adding eight forced fumbles. But while he was suspended for four games last May for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, Mathis tore his Achilles during a routine workout back home in Atlanta and he was lost for the entire season. Given what Mathis had produced in 2013, and the fact that he is the Colts’ all-time sack leader, it was a huge loss. But the six-time Pro Bowler is set to prove he can still produce at a really high level in 2015, even at the age of 34. The Colts hope that Mathis is correct and that he makes a marked difference for their defense in 2015.
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