Indianapolis Colts all-time Mount Rushmore

CLEVELAND - NOVEMBER 30: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts passes the ball during their NFL game against the Cleveland Browns on November 30, 2008 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Colts defeated the Browns 10-6. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after a touchdown in the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

QB Peyton Manning (1998-2011)

The fate of the modern NFL was heavily influenced by the Indianapolis Colts’ decision at the top of the 1998 draft. The Colts had the top pick and opted to go with Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf, a decision that wasn’t universally popular at the time but one that proved to be extremely prescient.

Manning started from the jump for the Colts, struggling through his rookie year before turning into a star after that. Indianapolis saw Manning turn into a bit of a throwback at the game’s most important position, using his incredible football knowledge to change plays at the line of scrimmage based on his reads of the defense, a lost art at that point in NFL history.

The Colts became a perennial playoff team under Manning’s guidance, reaching the playoffs every year from 1999-2010, including two Super Bowl appearances. Manning took home his only title as a Colt in Super Bowl XLI, but he also made 11 Pro Bowls, eight All-Pro teams, and won four MVP awards in Indy.

A neck injury ended Manning’s Colts career after the 2011 season when he didn’t play a game, but his legacy with Indianapolis was already well-defined at that point. Manning easily made the Hall-of-Fame and was also a lock to be selected to the NFL’s 100th-anniversary team, which he was this past fall.

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