Reggie Wayne waiting for his moment to help Colts

Before the sentence was complete, Reggie Wayne interrupted the question.

The Indianapolis Colts' veteran wide receiver heard the word "rebuilding" and just had to chime in.

"We reloaded," Wayne said. "We didn't rebuild."

It's an important distinction for Wayne, the senior member of the Colts' offense and one of only a handful of players to bridge the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck eras in Indianapolis. As a free agent in 2012, Wayne, too, could have been part of the exodus of veteran players.

If general manager Ryan Grigson or head coach Chuck Pagano had used that word -- "rebuilding" -- in their conversations with Wayne back then, Wayne would have been gone, following former core Colts players like Manning, pass rusher Dwight Freeney and center Jeff Saturday in signing with other teams.

"I don't have time for a rebuild," Wayne said Sunday night.

This playoff run very likely could be the final stage of Wayne's career. At 36, he's contemplating retirement after this season. His body failed him in 2013, when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and though he was able to play in 17 of Indianapolis' games this season – including two playoff games – he's no longer the focal piece of the Colts' offense.

And it's not just that he's no longer Luck's favorite target. Wayne's role has been so diminished that despite playing 57 of 77 offensive snaps in Sunday's divisional round win against the Denver Broncos, he had just one pass target (it was incomplete), while Luck completed passes to eight other players.

"I felt like I was coaching [Sunday] more than I was playing," Wayne said, laughing. "But you know, it's just part of it, man. This is a team game, I just want to do everything I possibly can to help this team win."

That Wayne is such a bit player in the Colts' offense, which finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards, is a sign of just how much the offense has evolved in the three years since Luck's arrival. Luck finds himself relying now on speedy receiver T.Y. Hilton and tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, all members of the 2012 draft class, and even running back Boom Herron, who had a game-high eight catches against the Broncos.

"I think everyone knows 87 is waiting, you know?" Wayne said. "I'm just doing my job, waiting on my number to be called, and between there I'm still doing all the blocking, I'm still being that leader as much as I possibly can."

The leadership role is now where Wayne can be most valuable. While the young players like Luck and Hilton have playoff experience, including playing at Gillette Stadium in New England in last year's postseason, Wayne is one of few Colts players who have reached a Super Bowl.

Receiver Hakeem Nicks, who signed with the Colts as a free agent this year, won one with the New York Giants in 2011. Luck's backup, Matt Hasselbeck, started for the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Adam Vinatieri, of course, has rings with both the Colts and the Patriots.

But on the offensive side, Wayne is that reminder of the Colts' postseason legacy, something new players had to learn when they arrived for that rebuilding – ahem, reloading – process.

"I think there were high expectations; I remember the first day I walked in the building," Luck said. "It's a winning franchise and it seems to be in the DNA of the Colts that you win. It's good for us to be here now, but there's more work to do. But, definitely high expectations from the moment all of us walked in that building."

Wayne shared a quick moment with Manning on the field at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Sunday evening, before both headed to opposite locker rooms, where Manning told reporters he couldn't commit to returning in 2015.

Wayne understands that feeling. But unlike Manning, he doesn't have to face that decision yet.

"I have no idea. [Shoot], we're trying to figure out what Reggie's doing," Wayne said. "We're trying to figure out what's up with Reggie. Don't have time to worry about everybody else, you know. But I'm sure he's going to make the best decision for him and his family. As an old friend, as a teammate, I wish him well."


(usatoday.com)