Dwight Freeney Would Like to Retire with Indianapolis Colts
By Josh Hill
NFL free agency has not been kind to Indianapolis Colts legends in the past year. Last season the Colts infamously parted ways with Peyton Manning, and they may be seeing another star who’s given his sweat and blood to the franchise walk away due to a lack of funds and impending free agency. Dwight Freeney has spent his entire 11-year career with the Colts and helped them make it to two Super Bowls, but he’s a free agent this offseason and his run in Indy might be over.
While his future with the only team he’s ever known is in doubt, Freeney has come forward and said that he would love nothing more than to retire as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
“It would be great to finish off my career as an Indianapolis Colt,” Freeney said, via Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com. “I’ve been there my whole career, and I don’t know anything different. … Ideally, it would be great to stay there. But it is a business, so we’ll see.”
Despite his glory years in Indianapolis, Freeney suffered through his worst season as a pro in 2012, posting the lowest sack total of his career while he tried to adjust to a brand new position in a brand new defense. Since coming to Indianapolis in 2002, Freeney had been a defensive end for the Colts but 2012 saw him switch to linebacker in a new 204 scheme the Colts implemented.
If the Colts were to let Freeney walk, he wouldn’t be the first of his era to do so. Obviously, Peyton Manning is the highest profile casualty of the Colts needing to get younger as a franchise, but others like Freeney have come and gone as well. Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Pierre Garcon and Joseph Addai have all moved on to other teams since the Colts retooled their front office and the face of the franchise.
“Right now, I’m just thinking about Indianapolis until they tell me otherwise.” Freeney said.