The past few years have been a study in falling just short for the Indianapolis Colts and their backers at Kentucky sports betting sites. Three times since 2021, the Colts have finished the regular season with either eight or nine wins, each time staying in the playoff race to the end without qualifying for the postseason.
It’s a far cry from the early 2000s, when Indianapolis often dominated. That recent history is reflected in this list of top Colts since 2000, as judged by Approximate Value (AV) at pro-football-reference.com. Here is the all-franchise list for the past 25 years on offense:
Position | Player | Years With Team | Approximate Value During Years |
QB | Peyton Manning | 2000-2010 | 190 |
RB | Edgerrin James | 2000-2005 | 91 |
WR | Reggie Wayne | 2001-2014 | 153 |
WR | Marvin Harrison | 2000-2008 | 117 |
TE | Dallas Clark | 2003-2011 | 55 |
OT | Tarik Glenn | 2000-2006 | 81 |
G | Quenton Nelson | 2018-2024 | 79 |
C | Jeff Saturday | 2000-2011 | 143 |
G | Jake Scott | 2004-2007 | 38 |
OT | Ryan Diem | 2001-2011 | 91 |
This data was prepared exclusively for BetKentucky.com, which brings you the best Kentucky sportsbook promo codes available.
Three players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame are the headliners for the best Colts offensive players since 2000. The list is led by quarterback Peyton Manning, who won four of his five Most Valuable Player awards while wearing the blue horseshoe on his helmet. His AV from 2000-10 in Indianapolis was 190.
Remember, the AV totals on our list only account for numbers accumulated since 2000. For instance, Marvin Harrison has the highest AV among receivers in franchise history, with 160 total from 1996 to 2008. But we’re only counting numbers from 2000 onward for this list, which is why Harrison’s AV of 117 from 2000-08 is behind fellow WR Reggie Wayne (153), whose entire Colts career is contained within the era we’re studying.
We obtained AV data from the Pro Football Reference website.
Position | Player | Years With Team | Approximate Value During Years |
DE | Dwight Freeney | 2002-2012 | 96 |
DT | DeForest Buckner | 2020-Present | 47 |
DT | Grover Stewart | 2017-Present | 42 |
DE | Robert Mathis | 2003-2016 | 86 |
LB | Shaquille Leonard | 2018-2023 | 64 |
LB | Gary Brackett | 2003-2011 | 45 |
LB | Zaire Franklin | 2018-Present | 38 |
CB | Kenny Moore | 2017-Present | 44 |
S | Antoine Bethea | 2006-2013 | 52 |
S | Bob Sanders | 2004-2010 | 34 |
CB | Vontae Davis | 2012-2017 | 38 |
There are no active Colts on offense on our all-2000s team. On defense, it’s a different story. Indianapolis Colts playoff chances often hinge on defense and in the 2025-26 season, the Colts might have the horses (so to speak) on D to contend for an AFC South title.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has only spent five of his nine NFL seasons in Indy, but he has been so good that his AV total of 47 in a Colts uniform leads active players on our list for defense. He has earned two Pro Bowl selections and was named AP first-team All-Pro once since he arrived with the franchise in 2000.
Fellow DT Grover Stewart also makes our list, joining two other current Colts – linebacker Zaire Franklin and cornerback Kenny Moore.
Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney is the top defender on the Colts’ quarter-century team list with an AV of 96 during his 11 seasons in Indy.
Our guide to Colts betting in Kentucky will give you insight for team wagering as early as the NFL Draft, which is April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Position | Player | Years With Team | Approximate Value During Years |
K | Adam Vinatieri | 2006-2019 | 45 |
P | Pat McAfee | 2009-2016 | 21 |
Adam Vinatieri spent his first 10 seasons with the New England Patriots, but his record-setting second act with the Colts might have been even better. Vinatieri kicked for the Colts for 14 seasons between 2006 and 2019, finally retiring at age 47. He’s the all-time NFL leader in points (2,673) and in field goals made (599) and attempted (715).
All-2000s punter Pat McAfee has gone on to a second career as a podcaster and broadcaster with ESPN and WWE.
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USA Today photo by Morgan Tencza
Author
Jim Tomlin has 30-plus years of experience writing and editing stories about sports, gambling and the intersection of those two industries. He has worked at the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition and now lends his expertise to BetKentucky.com, among other sites.
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