Fansided

5 high-end but dysfunctional NFL franchises

By John Buhler

Oct 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton meet at the end of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton meet at the end of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay looks on during a press conference to announce the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay looks on during a press conference to announce the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Indianapolis Colts. 4. player. 46. . AFC. South

This one should surprise people, but the Indianapolis Colts outside of literally Lucking into transcendent quarterback talents are a high-end dysfunctional franchise. This dysfunctionality has all to do with ownership and nothing else. Indianapolis loves the Colts and the players give it their all in Indy.

The Irsay Family has owned the Colts for decades now, but don’t exactly provide the organization with top-notch stability. The late Bob Irsay couldn’t get John Elway to sign with the then Baltimore Colts and eventually moved the franchise to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in the 1984 after shamelessly shopping the team to areas like Phoenix and Salt Lake City.

Current owner Jim Irsay fired the best executive in football the last 25 years in Bill Polian and spent most of 2015 undermining how head coach Chuck Pagano wanted to run his football team. Irsay has praised current general manager Ryan Grigson for wisely drafting franchise quarterback Andrew Luck No. 1 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. That was a decision that even the worst general manager could make. One doesn’t pass on the best quarterback prospect in 14 years!

In essence, the Colts have been massively fortunate to have drafted Peyton Manning No. 1 overall in 1998 and his replacement in Luck in 2012. They benefit from playing in the worst division since 2002’s realignment. Houston is sometimes good and both Jacksonville and Tennessee have fallen on hard times since being dominant in the old AFC Central in the late 1990s.

The Colts have missed on draft picks and free agents signings quite often since Grigson took over personnel decisions. They continue to get the benefit of the doubt because they can get to a 10-6 regular season record almost annually due in large part to going 6-0 in a normally putrid division.

An undermining owner and an ineffective general manager are offset by outstanding quarterback play and playing in a weak division. If the Colts swapped places with the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East, would Indianapolis be held in this high of a regard as a supposedly elite AFC franchise? The Colts are a high-end dysfunctional franchise.

Next: 3. Minnesota Vikings

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