Some Indianapolis Colts fans are not happy Reggie Wayne signed with the New England Patriots.

"Anywhere but there!" some bellowed and moaned on social media following his one-year pact with the conference rival.

There has been a lot said locally about the long-time Colt since he made the decision to join Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyle even penned a piece titled: "Reggie Wayne - Patriot or traitor?"

When asked Tuesday about the local coverage of Wayne on the Rich Eisen Show, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck dismissed the idea that the receiver is anything close to a traitor.

"There's a lot of things said and written about a lot of people," Luck said. "But Reggie will always be one of the great Colts in my mind and a great, great teammate. You can't control what people write. It doesn't really matter what's fair, I think, and not fair necessarily as a player. But I know Reg is no traitor to me at all."

Of course he's not a traitor. After sitting out nearly all of the offseason after not being re-signed by the Colts after 14 years, the Pats were his first whiff of real interest. What was he to say? "Nah, I can't sign there, it might upset the team that decided it didn't want me?"

Above all, the NFL is a business, even if we as fans sometimes think it more.

As Eisen pointed out, it's just as weird seeing Andre Johnson in a Colts' uniform and Wayne in a Pats', but neither is anything close to a traitor.


(nfl.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Imagine sitting by the ocean and unwinding with nothing imminent on the calendar when someone calls with a job offer.

In such a relaxed state, jumping at that opportunity may not be your first thought. Now imagine that job comes with the following description: You’ve got to crack the books right away and you’re going to get hit. A lot. Often by much bigger men.

Those caveats really don’t sweeten the proposition, do they?

That was the scenario facing Reggie Wayne last week. But the receiver didn’t think twice. He happily accepted the Patriots’ employment offer and made his debut in a 17-16 exhibition win over the Carolina Panthers Friday night with just a pair of practices under his belt.

“Hell, you go from chillin’ on the beach and just relaxing [to playing football],’’ said Wayne. “I worked out every day but there’s no way you can simulate football practices in your workouts at home so it was different.’’

Wayne didn’t have any catches and was only targeted once — Tom Brady’s short pass was just a bit off — but the veteran isn’t too concerned with statistics just yet, he was just happy to be back in pads.

“Felt like football,’’ said Wayne, when asked what it was like to return to the game. “I’m still adjusting, still trying to get on the same page with the quarterback, get on the same page with this team, learn this playbook. But just to be out there and hearing all the football terminology, seeing all of the stuff that I have been wanting to see for months, it felt good.’’

Coach Bill Belichick, who has had to shuffle the wide receiver deck more than a few times this summer with so many injuries (Brandon LaFell has yet to practice and Julian Edelman, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, and Brian Tyms, who is on injured reserve with a foot ailment, all have been nicked up in camp), is happy to have Wayne in the fold and on the field, especially under game conditions.

“I think it’s always different in a game,’’ said the coach. “Game speed, timing, communication, not necessarily verbal but the timing of the communication with the quarterback and the routes and so forth. Practice is good and that certainly helps, but it’s never quite the same as the game. That’s something we can learn from and build on. We’ve obviously got a long way to go but [we’ll] keep working on it.’’

The 36-year-old Wayne, who played his previous 14 seasons with the Colts, collecting 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns, said he feels like a rookie again and though the Patriots playbook isn’t pleasure reading, he’s jumped right in.

“I’m learning,’’ said Wayne. “I’m doing better than I thought I would. No one likes to go back to school, it’s a process. Hopefully I can continue to grasp everything and continue to do as best as I can. I knew from afar that this playbook wasn’t simple. They’re throwing a lot at me, trying to see what sticks. I’m doing all right, man.’’

Wayne is getting some tutelage from a guy with pretty expansive knowledge on the playbook — Brady.

“He’s just trying to get me to understand the lingo, the way things go around here, it’s totally different [than in Indianapolis],’’ said Wayne. “He’s just trying to get me up to speed with everything.’’

Wayne is very appreciative of the help and support Brady has been able to offer, despite controversy surrounding the quarterback and the imminent decision on his suspension status as a result of Deflategate.

“Just what I know of Tom, I know that he’ll take care of business, whatever that is,’’ said Wayne, who has a little experience playing with elite quarterbacks after splitting his tenure in Indianapolis with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. “He’s a professional, man. He knows what to do. Things happen, everybody’s going to have some bumps in the road here and there. I’m just glad that in spite of all that stuff he’s able to pull me to the side and kinda help me out. Whatever the situation is, it is. That’s my teammate and I’m willing to do whatever I can to help.’’

Wayne is wearing No. 15 with the Patriots because a certain fun-loving tight end has his familiar No. 87. He chose the number because “it’s my 15th season and eight plus seven equals 15.’’

After being entrenched with one team for so long, Wayne acknowledged it is a bit surreal to be wearing a different uniform. Especially New England’s red, white, and blue, considering the intense rivalry between the Patriots and Colts. The teams meet again Oct. 18 in Indianapolis, and the possibility exists that it could be Brady’s return if he is ordered to serve his four-game suspension.

“It’s different,’’ said Wayne. “You’ve been somewhere for 14 years so you never think you’ll be anywhere else, but that’s life. Life is when you plan for something else and things happen, you have to adjust. It was weird but once the whistle blows it just becomes football. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be back out there again.’’


(bostonglobe.com)

CHARLOTTE -- Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne has worn No. 87 throughout his football career, but after signing a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on Tuesday, he talked about how his time in 87 was over. That number, of course, is donned by tight end Rob Gronkowski in New England.

On Friday night, Wayne described why No. 15 is the right fit for him.

“It’s my 15th season and 8 plus 7 equals 15. I’m a little better than you thought I was; see how I put all that together?" Wayne cracked. "That’s the reason for the 15.”
Wayne drew a large crowd of reporters in the locker room after the Patriots' 17-16 victory over the Panthers, a game in which he played 20 snaps and had one ball thrown in his direction (he couldn't bring it in).

He talked about how refreshing it was for him to get back to playing football and "seeing all the stuff I’ve been wanting to see for months.” He said he's doing better than he thought he would in terms of learning the playbook, but still feels there's a long road ahead as he "knew from afar that this playbook wasn’t simple."

Quarterback Tom Brady has been a big help to him.

“I’m just glad that in spite of all that stuff [he's dealing with], he’s able to pull me to the side and help me out; trying to get me to understand the lingo, the way things go around here," Wayne said, adding that it feels like he's a rookie again. "That’s my teammate and I’m willing to do whatever I can to help.

"What I know of Tom, I know that he’ll take care of his business, whatever that is. He’s a professional. He knows what to do. Things happen. Everybody is going to have some bumps in the road here and there, but I’m sure he knows what to do and how to take care of that."

A few other soundbites from Wayne:

Playing 20 snaps after signing on Tuesday. “It’s a little shock to the body -- you go from on the beach chilling to playing football. ... I worked out every day, but there’s no way you can assimilate a football practice in your workouts at home. ... It felt good to be back with teammates, cheering me on, hearing the sounds of the helmets and things.”

Being one of the first players on the field and appreciating the moment. "That’s something I always did. I’m being appreciative. I’m thankful. I’m blessed. I’ve been doing this for 15 years. Those years go fast. You try not to take anything for granted. Anything can be your last play. See some of the faces come in and out of this league, to be able to do it this long, I’m thankful for that. What you saw me doing was a normal routine. It won’t ever change.”

Adjusting to his new surroundings at age 36. "It adds a little spice to your life a little bit. It’s a challenge. Everybody loves a challenge. I accept it. I’m seeing how the brain works at 36 years old. So far so good. I guess you can’t put me in the hospital just yet. I’m all right.”


(espn.com)

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne is wrapping up his first week as a member of the Patriots and it’s been full of new things.

Wayne is wearing a new number on a new team after spending 14 years with No. 87 on the back of a Colts jersey and he’s also trying to lear a new offensive playbook with limited time to cram in all the new information before the start of the regular season. The scheme may be new but the experience brings back some old memories.

“Like a rookie,” Wayne said, via the Boston Herald. “They’re throwing a lot at me right now. I’m not getting very much sleep. I feel like a rookie all over again.”

Other veteran wideouts have struggled to pick up the Patriots offense quickly enough to make an impact for the team, so it’s not surprising to hear that Wayne’s working hard to pick everything up. With Brandon LaFell on the PUP list and Julian Edelman out of action for almost all of August, the Patriots may need that work to pay off early in the season.


(profootballtalk.com)

Apparently Reggie Wayne had reasonable expectations for his preseason debut with the New England Patriots, which came just four days after the veteran wideout signed with his new team.

Wayne was targeted twice by quarterback Tom Brady. He caught neither attempt, and the second target, which Brady threw behind him, clanged off his finger tips. Still, Wayne held his head up after the Patriots’ 17-16 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Wayne said, via MassLive.com’s Kevin Duffy.

The Patriots’ offense is considered extremely intricate, and it’s been a stumbling block for many veteran wide receivers who have tried to play under Brady.

“I knew from afar this playbook wasn’t simple,” Wayne said.

Brady is doing what he can to help his new teammate comprehend the system, including putting in some extra work during practice.

“He’s a professional, man,” Wayne said, via the Providence Journal’s Mark Daniels. “He knows what to do. Things happen. Everybody is going to have some bumps in the road here and there. I’m sure he knows what to do, knows how to take care of that. I’m just glad, in spite of all that stuff, he’s able to pull me to the side and kind of help me out. Whatever the situation is, it is. That’s my teammate and I’m willing to do whatever I can to help.”

It remains to be seen if Wayne can catch on more quickly than the likes of Joey Galloway or Chad Ochocinco, but his first game was expectedly sloppy. The former Indianapolis Colts receiver will need to digest the Patriots’ complex offensive playbook soon, however, if Brandon LaFell — who’s still dealing with a foot injury — can’t get back on the field by Week 1.

The Patriots have just 13 days and one preseason game left before their Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.


(nesn.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Breaking down the one-year contract signed by veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne with the New England Patriots:

Signing bonus: $450,000

Base salary: $1.1 million

Roster bonus: $750,000 ($46,875 per game on 46-man active roster)

Incentives: $250,000 for 55 receptions or $500,000 for 65 receptions

Maximum value: $2.8 million

Quick-hit thoughts: On Tuesday, Wayne said, "I just want to win, point blank." Thus, financials obviously aren't a top priority for him. But at the same time, they reflect the marketplace for the savvy veteran entering his 15th season, and also how the Patriots view his potential contributions. This isn't a minimum-level deal. The pure guarantee is the $450,000 signing bonus, and if Wayne makes the roster (which is likely), his $1.1 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed. At that point, he'd be guaranteed $1.55 million, with the chance to earn the remaining $1.25 million in per-game roster bonuses and incentives for receptions. For the Patriots, they have salary-cap space to absorb this charge with little impact from a big-picture perspective.


(espn.com)

In case there was any doubt, the Patriots paid wide receiver Reggie Wayne with the expectation he will be on the 53-man roster this season.

Wayne’s one-year deal officially was filed with the league, and he can earn $2.55 million if he reaches all incentives. Wayne earned a $450,000 signing bonus to go along with a $1.1 million base salary, plus $750,000 in roster bonuses ($46,875 per game on the 46-man roster) and an additional $250,000 in incentives. Wayne’s cap hit is $2,503,125.

The 14-year veteran has shown nothing but enthusiasm since coming on board, talking about how difficult the playbook is and how he’s going full-tilt to learn it. His first few days with the team have been pretty much a whirlwind.

“Like a rookie,” Wayne said. “They’re throwing a lot at me right now. I’m not getting very much sleep. I feel like a rookie all over again.”


(bostonherald.com)

When new Patriots receiver Reggie Wayne met with the media on Tuesday for the first time as a non-Colt, he also did so for the first time as a guy who won’t be wearing No. 87.

“Eigthy-seven is over with,” Wayne said, after explaining he has no plans to try to get it away from tight end Rob Gronkowski.

At the time Wayne met with the media, he said he didn’t know what his number would be. According to the official roster on the team’s website, he’ll be wearing No. 15.

He’s already much higher than No. 15 on two key career receiving lists, and a solid season with the Pats could put him much higher. At seventh in receptions with 1,070, Wayne is only eight from catching Terrell Owens for No. 6, 24 from matching Tim Brown with 1,094, and 32 from equaling former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison for No. 3 all time, with 1,102.

Wayne is eighth on the all-time yardage list, with 14,345 yards. He’s only 235 yards from catching Harrison for No. 7, and he needs only 947 for the season to match Moss at No. 3.

When it comes to receiving touchdowns, Wayne sits at 22nd, with 82. Ten would vault him to No. 10, but he still needs a total of 46 to catch Harrison in that category.
Regardless, the total catches and receiving yards — along with the possibility of a second Super Bowl ring — could eventually get Wayne a spot in Canton.


(profootballtalk.com)

Reggie Wayne is a player Patriots fans should know well.

Wayne is the Colts’ all-time leader in games played and the leader among active players in receptions (1,070) and receiving yards (14,345). And, after 14 years in Indy, he’s now a New England Patriot.

The 36-year-old (who turns 37 in November) had been on the market since his final contract with the Colts expired in March, and despite reports of interest from a handful of teams in July, Wayne remained unsigned until Monday. With veteran wideout Brandon Gibson now on IR, fourth-year undrafted free agent Brian Tyms waived with an injury and Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson and Julian Edelman still sidelined with injury, the Patriots’ hand was forced—but Wayne could be an asset this season nonetheless.

Make no mistake, Wayne’s best years are behind him: He last eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2012, when he had 1,355 yards and 5 touchdowns with a rookie Andrew Luck. He was on pace to hit the mark in 2013 had he not gone on IR with a torn ACL in Week 7, and he labored to just 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 15 games last season. His recent stats paint a picture of receiver in steep decline, and yet it’s somewhat a deceiving one.

While 2014 was Wayne’s worst overall statistical season in a dozen years, injury-shortened 2013 aside, he was more than adequate on a per-catch basis. At 12.2 yards per reception last year, Wayne would have slotted third among Patriots pass-catchers with more than 20 targets last year, behind just Rob Gronkowski (13.7) and LaFell (12.9) and well ahead of Danny Amendola’s 7.4 mark.

He caught just 64 of 116 targets for a 55.1 percent catch rate, far below his 62.4 career rate, but he wasn’t that far off the 56.9 percent he grabbed in his first two years with Luck. Tom Brady (64.1 cmp% in 2014) is unqestionably a more accurate quarterback than Luck (61.7) at this stage in their careers, and so could bring an improvement there.


(boston.com)

Patriots wide receiver Reggie Wayne — it will take some time for that to look right — has heard the doubts about his ability to produce at a high level after his sluggish end to the 2014 season, but they haven’t shaken his confidence.

Wayne said Tuesday that he was battling injuries all of last season, but knows “what I’m capable of” when he’s healthy.

“I think I have enough to play,” Wayne said, via MassLive.com. “Like you said, if I didn’t think I had enough, I wouldn’t be here. One thing I don’t do is worry about what people have to say. If I didn’t play at all, if I decided to retire, they still would have something to say … The only thing I can do is let my work speak for myself. I know what I can do, what I can bring to the table. Just got to get caught up and get on the same [page] as everybody and be able to show what I can do. Whoever the naysayers are, watch me work.”

Getting on the same page with the rest of the Patriots is his biggest concern right now, saying, via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, that there’s “no comparison” to the offenses he’s played in during his time with the Colts. That focus means that there’s “no time” for messages to Colts fans or thinking ahead to this year’s game in Indianapolis.

Wayne also isn’t going to spend any time worrying about the fact that he won’t be wearing the familiar No. 87 that he wore with the Colts. That number belongs to Rob Gronkowski in New England, so Wayne will wear No. 15 in his 15th NFL season as he embarks on his “new journey” with the Patriots.


(profootballtalk.com)

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has spent a lot of time devising plans to cover wide receiver Reggie Wayne over the years and those experiences left him with plenty of complimentary things to say about the veteran wideout.

Now he’ll get a chance to coach Wayne, who signed a one-year deal with the Patriots on Monday. In past years, it wouldn’t have been a question whether Wayne would find a spot on the team’s roster but Wayne looked like he lost a step or two in 2014. That’s left Belichick to play “wait and see” before figuring out what, if any, role Wayne will play for the Patriots this year.

“We’ll find out. We’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said during an appearance on WEEI. “We’ve never had him in our system before. I mean I’ve coached him in the Pro Bowl and all that. We just have to see how it goes. He’s had a great career and has done a lot of things for the Colts organization, primarily playing on the left and in more recent years being moved around to playing on the right and also some slot in situations. I think he has a lot of versatility, obviously he has a lot of experience so we’ll have to see how it goes.”

We’ve seen receivers like Chad Johnson fail to flourish in New England after having productive careers with other teams, so it’s no sure thing that Wayne will wind up making an impact for the Patriots this fall. With Brandon Gibson hitting injured reserve on Monday and the Aaron Dobson/Josh Boyce duo failing to grab major roles with the team since being drafted in 2013, Wayne probably won’t be lacking chances to show he has something left in the tank.


(profootballtalk.com)

The Patriots have a new receiver, and this one has a very big reputation.

The team has agreed to a deal with former Colts wideout Reggie Wayne, according to a source.

On WEEI this afternoon, Patriots coach Bill Belichick pretty much confirmed the transaction.

"I think we've agreed (to a contract)," Belichick said. "I've had several (conversations) with him. We'll see how it goes. We've never had him in our system before; coaching him in the Pro Bowl and all that, but we'll just have to see how it goes."

Wayne came to terms after visiting for a physical over the weekend.

The wide receiver's defection from Indianapolis is just the latest bit of gasoline on the fiery Patriots-Colts rivalry.

"He's certainy had a great career and has done a lot of things for the Colt organization, primarily playing on the left but then in more recent years being moved around to playing on the right and also in some slot situations. I think he has a lot of versatility and obviously he has a lot of experience, so we'll just have to see how it goes."

In a 14-year career with the Colts, Wayne is the franchise record-holder for games played with 211. In that time, he racked up 14,345 receiving yards and scored 82 touchdowns. As recently as 2012, Wayne had 106 catches for 1,335 yards. Both outputs were the second best of his career.

During the Colts' 2013 campaign, Wayne tore his ACL, and last season his numbers were down. He finished 2014 with 64 catches on 116 targets, and only had two touchdown receptions for Andrew Luck's prolific offense. In fact, in his last five seasons in Indy, Wayne caught just 19 TD passes in a span of 70 games.

Nonetheless, it's clear Wayne has the respect of Belichick, who spoke glowingly of the veteran before a meeting with the Colts last season.

"He's still really good at everything," Belichick said. "Obviously a real smart, experienced guy. Knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same. Does a great job releasing, and then at the top of his routes, being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw."

Wayne is getting a shot in New England because the Patriots are thin at wide receiver with the season rapidly approaching.

Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce are all nursing injuries, so there's a chance that Wayne cracks the opening day roster, especially if LaFell (who has the most serious ailment of the bunch) opens the season on the PUP list.

ESPN first reported the Wayne signing.


(bostonherald.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots players expressed excitement late Monday with news that longtime Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the team.

"Not in a million years did I think I’d be [teammates with] a guy that I’ve been watching for a long time. Glad to have him, time to get to work," cornerback Malcolm Butler said.

Added receiver Danny Amendola, "He's played at a high level for a long time, played on some really good football teams, and we're excited to have him. He's a professional."

Veteran cornerback Tarell Brown noted that he's played against Wayne once in his career, saying that it's exciting to bring a leader like him aboard. He compared it to when he had the chance to practice against longtime Rams receiver Isaac Bruce when both were teammates in San Francisco (2008-2009) at the end of Bruce's career.

“Somebody of that caliber, you have to be very disciplined [playing against]," Brown said. "[He’s] somebody that’s really crafty that’s going to give you different looks, give you different leverages and just attack you in so many different ways. It makes you more of a patient player. It makes you trust your technique a lot more, and it also helps you prepare week in and week out to understand that guys will game plan you, guys will come out and do different things against you.”

Brown said Wayne's influence and experience will help all players -- from rookies to veterans.

Safety Tavon Wilson echoed those thoughts.

"Going up against a veteran guy like that that brings a lot of versatility and how productive he’s been as long as he’s been in this league is going to help our defense in practice," he said. "I’m looking forward to adding him to our team.”


(espn.com)

When Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL this week, some wondered if the Panthers would bring in Reggie Wayne to bolster their receiving corps.

The Panthers have opted to see what they have on hand already, which has left Wayne on the market. That could be changing, however.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Wayne is in New England to take a physical with the Patriots. Wayne is no stranger to the Patriots after spending 14 years with the Colts that featured many big games against New England and Patriots coach Bill Belichick said last year that Wayne was “still a very dangerous receiver.”

“Yeah, he’s still really good at everything,” Belichick said, via the Colts website.” [He’s] obviously a real smart and experienced guy; knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same, does a great job of releasing and then at the top of his routes being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw. He’s been a key guy for them in critical situations and third down-type situations.”

Belichick made those comments before a November game between the teams and Wayne had five catches for 91 yards in that contest. That was one of the veteran’s better games last year as he looked to be on the wrong side of the hill after a 2013 ACL tear. He closed out the season with just one catch in Indy’s three postseason contests before having surgery on his triceps and knee this offseason, but he may get a chance to keep his NFL career going if the physical goes well and Belichick thinks his experience can help the Patriots this year.


(profootballtalk.com)

Nightmare became reality for the Panthers on Wednesday with news that No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is done for the season with a torn ACL. With Benjamin headed to injured reserve, the Panthers could look to sign a veteran receiver.

Let's take a look at who's out there. It ain't pretty.

Reggie Wayne: The Colts' hero struggled to make an impact last season and never really seemed to make it back from the torn ACL in October 2013. He'll turn 37 in November.

Wes Welker: Once the most productive slot receiver in football, Welker saw his career derailed in Denver following multiple concussions. The 33-year-old lacked elusiveness last season, an observation backed by his career-low 9.5 yards per catch average.

Santana Moss: The longtime Redskins receiver is about five years past his prime at this point. He did manage eight touchdown receptions as recently as 2012.

Santonio Holmes: It's been a long time since Holmes won a Super Bowl for the Steelers with his combination of great hands and eye-popping athleticism. Holmes, 31, was never the same guy after he suffered a serious foot injury with the Jets in 2012. He was church-mouse quiet in a stint with the Bears last season.

Brandon Lloyd: Resurfaced with the 49ers last season, making three starts in 14 games. Like Holmes, he has some history as a locker room troublemaker. Lloyd led the league with 1,448 receiving yards in 2010 -- he's never gone over 1,000 yards in any of his other 10 seasons.

Robert Meachem: A rotational vertical threat with the Saints, Meachem has just four touchdowns in his last three seasons. He'll be 31 in September, making him the spring chicken of this group.


(nfl.com)

On Wednesday, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin suffered a torn ACL in practice that will sideline him for the entirety of the 2015 season - leaving the Panthers with no good receiving threats.

In his rookie season last year, Benjamin played in every game and caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 13.8 yards per reception.  That leaves the Panthers with players like Corey Brown, Devin Funchess, Jerricho Cotchery, and Ted Ginn at the wide receiver position - in other words, it's not good.  Tight end Greg Olsen will be counted on to be a huge part of the receiving game.

What this means for the Indianapolis Colts is that they will miss Cam Newton's top receiving target when they travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers in week eight on Monday Night Football.  But perhaps even more interesting will be who is on the team during that week eight game to face the Colts.

Of course, this is all purely speculation right now, but former Colts receiver Reggie Wayne makes a ton of sense for the Panthers right now.  He's a veteran wideout who could help bring some stability to the position while still providing solid play as a wideout - he's not going to be the Reggie Wayne of a few years ago but would still be the best receiver on the team.  Furthermore, he could help teach and mentor a group full of young receivers, like he did with many receivers in Indianapolis (such as T.Y. Hilton).  Could it be that when the Colts travel to take on the Panthers in week eight they'll be facing one of Indy's all-time greats?  Nothing has been reported yet, but it makes a lot of sense for both sides.  The Panthers need a player to step in right now in the short-term, and Wayne wants to play one more year. According to the Charlotte Observer's Joe Person, the Panthers have not yet reached out to Wayne - but despite that, it does seem like a fit.

Many Colts fans will now ask whether a trade could be worked out between Indy and Carolina, as the Colts have a ton of depth at the wide receiver position and the Panthers, well, don't.  We can just go ahead and rule out T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson as trade targets, as I think we all know that they are not going to be traded.  Some have wondered whether Donte Moncrief would be a good option for the Panthers, and the answer is yes.  But I'd be pretty surprised if the Colts traded Moncrief, and the same goes for first round pick Phillip Dorsett.  So that leaves Duron Carter, the talented receiver who is the Colts' number five.  He really impressed in training camp, and his talent is something the Panthers could work with.  The thing is I'm not sure whether Carter is really ready to step up and take such a big role right now, and that's what the Panthers need.  Carter is a player you'd acquire with the future in mind as much as the present (which is what the Colts did), and the Panthers need help right now.  Carter would certainly help, but he might not be the best option for them - I think getting Reggie Wayne as a free agent would be a better move for Carolina's situation right now than getting Duron Carter in a trade.  So could we see a trade between the Colts and the Panthers?  Sure, with Ryan Grigson we've learned to never rule out training camp and preseason trades.  But at this point, I don't think it's something too likely.


(stampedeblue.com)

Do you think the Bears would take a look at Reggie Wayne? -- @Leni68Lenihan

It makes much more sense to me right now to determine if Marquess Wilson can be a productive player because he’s young and on his rookie contract. Wayne is 36 and turns 37 in November and he caught 64 passes for 779 yards and two touchdowns last season.

His name has popped up with a couple of teams so far but there doesn’t appear to be anything imminent. You’d have to wonder if Wayne would want to join the Bears. He could be in a position where he only wants to sign with a contender and the Bears would have a hard time selling themselves as that right now.


(chicagotribune.com)

There’s something about those University of Miami connections for Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano.

For the past three years, it was Pagano and veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne. Now that Wayne is no longer part of the Colts’ picture, it’s running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

Wayne, Gore and Johnson were all standouts at Miami while Pagano was an assistant coach. He ended up in having a hand in all three players winding up as Hurricanes as a recruiter.

Flash forward several years. Pagano had just been named as Indianapolis’ new head coach. Wayne had just played out his contract with the Colts and was fielding offers from several teams around the National Football League.

Just when it looked as if Wayne was headed out the door, presumably to New England, in stepped Pagano the recruiter once again. He convinced his long-time friend to stay with the Colts and be an important part in the remodeling of the franchise.

When the decision was made to finally part ways to Wayne after the 2014 season, largely due to age and a series of injuries that had finally begun to affect his on-field performance, Pagano went right back to his Miami connections.

This time it was Gore and Johnson. Both players had received lucrative contract offers from other teams. In fact, for awhile it appeared as if the former San Francisco 49ers running back was headed to Philadelphia.

But, as Indianapolis general manager Ryan Grigson likes to say, once Pagano gets a potential roster addition in the door, the chances are pretty good that they’re not going to leave. Such was the case with Gore and Johnson.

Both players are expected to be important cogs in the Colts’ offense this season. With Wayne gone, Johnson steps in to give Indianapolis another Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver. He gives the franchise something it hasn’t had for quite a long time, a big physical receiver.

While Johnson’s former team, the Houston Texans, decided to part ways, Pagano and Grigson both firmly believe the veteran receiver still has a lot left to offer.
“He’s the same. Same guy, just better version. From day one from recruiting him and then when he came to the University of Miami as a freshman until now. He’s a tireless worker. He doesn’t say anything. He does his job,” the Colts head coach offered.

“He’s where he is supposed to be, and he’s very trustworthy, accountable, a great teammate. Guys can look to him and say, ‘OK I’m a young receiver and I’m going to get in his hip pocket and whatever he does, I am doing.’ He just does everything the right way, plus he has a ton of talent.”

Pagano has the same feel for Gore, who may make his mark just as much as a pass blocker as he will as a runner.

“Certainly you have to have the mental aptitude to understand protections. You are going to get a bunch of exotic blitzes nowadays. People are going to challenge your protections on every third down situation. From a mental standpoint, [Gore’s] got the football IQ and aptitude to understand that and get on the right people. Then from a physical standpoint, he’s a tough guy,” the coach said.


(tribstar.com)

ESPN Bengals reporter Coley Harvey thinks free agent Reggie Wayne "might make for a nice addition" in Cincinnati.

Following the loss of WR James Wright (knee) to injured reserve on Tuesday, the Bengals are in the market for some depth at the position. Wayne could bring a veteran presence to a receiving corps whose oldest player is Brandon Tate at 27. Wayne could then slide in as the No. 3/4 receiver and play for a contender.


(rotoworld.com)

Despite no contract extension for Russell Wilson - or Bobby Wagner - yet, Seattle could be in pursuit of two veteran free agents, according to ESPN's Jim Trotter.

Those potential options include Dwight Freeney and Reggie Wayne. Should the Seahawks fail to strike a deal with Wilson by Friday, that would allow them to use the money that was set aside to pursue others and fill out the roster. 

The Seahawks already upgraded their offense with Jimmy Graham in the offseason, but adding Wayne could bolster their young wide receiving corps. Wayne had spent his entire 14-year career with the Colts before becoming a free agent this year, but posted just 779 receiving yards and two scores in 2014. 


(foxsports.com)

Reggie Wayne has a friend in a very high place in San Diego's front office.

And it just so happens general manager Tom Telesco could still use an upgrade or two out wide.

A marriage between Wayne and the Chargers just makes sense. After all, as Chargers' blog "Bolts From The Blue" points out, Telesco is a fan of Wayne from back in his days as a Colts scout.

ESPN reporter Ed Werder connected the dots between Wayne and the Bolts, too.

"The Chargers are interesting because Tom Telesco the GM there was with the Colts," Werder said. "He's known to consider Wayne a Hall of Fame caliber player and of course Antonio Gates is going to miss the first 4 games of the season, Wayne might be able to help them early."

Wayne's greatest value could come in the form of mentorship. Keenan Allen is still a young, impressionable player who could use a voice like Wayne's around.
That alone might make No. 87 worth a try. And anything Wayne still has left in the tank would be the cherry on top.


(foxsports.com)

The list of teams interested in Reggie Wayne -- or perhaps the list of teams Reggie Wayne is interested in playing for -- is out.

According to WRTV's Dave Furst, the Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Packers have expressed some form of curiosity surrounding the future Hall of Famer. The Broncos have "backed off," per Furst, which denies us a chance to see Wayne catch a pass from Peyton Manning again.

Here you go-among the teams showing interest in former #Colts WR Reggie Wayne: #Patriots #Ravens #Texans #Packers. Broncos have backed off.

— Dave Furst (@DaveFurst) July 17, 2015

As you'll notice, this is largely a list of contenders with the exception of the Houston Texans. There, Wayne would get a chance to reunite with old pal Vince Wilfork and ride off into the sun together.

This is why the list may be part fantasy and part reality. For example, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has already mentioned that the Ravens are out and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has reported that the Texans are not interested in the veteran's services.

In the NFL, "interest" often gets confused with a team merely checking up on a player's medical progress while asking purposely vague questions about where said player would like to suit up next season. Maybe that's the case here, maybe the Ravens are trying to fly under the radar until after camp, when they don't have to pay Wayne's entire salary for the season.

Either way, a team on the verge would be wise to take a flier on one of the best receivers of the last decade. If nothing else, he'll bring an unquestioned level of leadership and experience to the table.


(nfl.com)

A report about interest in wide receiver Reggie Wayne included the Ravens on the list of teams that were in the mix, but it doesn’t look like the former Colts wideout will be heading to the place where the Colts franchise played its first games.

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Jamison Hensley of ESPN both report that the Ravens are not expected to pursue adding Wayne to their mix at receiver. Hensley adds that the team also isn’t expected to make a play for Ace Sanders, who was waived by the Jaguars last week after two seasons in Jacksonville.

There were questions about the wide receiver group in Baltimore throughout the offseason and the addition of Breshad Perriman in the first round didn’t put them all to rest. It would appear, however, that the Ravens are content to see what the rookie, Marlon Brown, Michael Campanaro and Kamar Aiken can do alongside Steve Smith rather than double down on well-seasoned wideouts this season.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans also aren’t making a play for Wayne. DeAndre Hopkins, Cecil Shorts and third-round pick Jaelen Strong are at the top of their depth chart at receiver.

The Packers and Patriots were the other teams mentioned as potential landing spots for Wayne and we noted some of the potential obstacles to Wayne landing with those teams earlier on Monday.


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Three of the Indianapolis Colts' new players have ties to receiver Reggie Wayne, who spent the past 14 seasons with the franchise.

The Colts signed running back Frank Gore and receiver Andre Johnson and drafted receiver Phillip Dorsett during the offseason.

All three attended the University of Miami, just like Wayne. And they all work out in Miami, just like Wayne.

That’s why it’s not weird -- anymore at least -- for Wayne to see Gore and Johnson playing for the Colts.

“I would say yes, but when they’re not up here they’re down [in Miami] and I see them working out and stuff,” Wayne said. “It’s funny cause you sit back and laugh, it almost was a University of Miami receiving corp. Andre Johnson always says, ‘I wish you were still there, it would have been exciting.’ Those guys are great friends of mine. I’m excited for them. I’m happy for them. I wish them the best and they’re great guys. You guys know about me doing stuff in the community. Those guys are also community guys. You’ll be seeing them do stuff around the city.”

The Colts decided not to re-sign Wayne, 37, in March. They turned around and signed Johnson as his replacement. Johnson is 34 years old, but he’s still an upgrade over Wayne at that position. Wayne said last week that he plans to play a 15th season.

Johnson and Wayne talked before the former Houston Texan receiver signed with the Colts back in March.

“We understand that as athletes that’s the way it goes and I’m just thankful I was able to do what I was able to do for so long,” Wayne said. “Not everybody is blessed enough to do it. I’m still going to be cheering from afar. Just have to ride the wave as best as you can.”


(espn.com)

Reggie Wayne won’t be back with the Colts this season, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to throw in the towel on his career.

Wayne is in Indianapolis on Friday to receive a key to the city and told reporters at a press conference that he still plans on playing during the 2015 season. Mike Wells of ESPN.com reports that Wayne said he’s spoken to five teams that have shown interest in bringing him on board for what he says will be a last hurrah in the NFL.

“Ideal is playing one more year and hanging it up,” Wayne said, via Eric Cox of RTV6.

Wayne caught 64 passes for 779 yards and two touchdowns with the Colts last season, but didn’t look like the same player he was before tearing his ACL during the 2013 season. He had surgery to repair a torn triceps and a knee scope after the year came to an end and might not be guaranteed anything more than a chance to compete for a roster spot if he does strike a deal to go to training camp with a team later this month.


(profootballtalk.com)

Could legendary Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne resurface in the NFL?

Wayne's contract expired in Indianapolis at the end of the season, and the Colts announced that they would not re-sign the former first-round pick. Many believed Wayne, who has battled injuries the past few years, would simply retire.

However, a report from NFL.com's Ian Rapoport says Wayne does not want to retire and is simply waiting to get fully healthy following triceps surgery in search of another NFL opportunity.

The report indicated that Wayne could be ready to go around the time training camps open in late July, which means he could be an option for a team that feels it is short at receiver or has a receiver suffer a training camp injury.


(indy.247sports.com)

Dreaming of living the lifestyle of an NFL baller? Reggie Wayne can help you get there—at least in the arena of real estate. The former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver is renting out his cozy downtown Miami condo for $5,999 a month.

The two-bedroom waterfront unit blends in nicely with its surroundings thanks to a sandy color scheme. The stark white color in the kitchen is reminiscent of the white caps on the waves visible from the balcony.

The master suite features a sliding door with access to the balcony, and a walk-in closet large enough to hold an entire team’s collection of jerseys. In the master bathroom you’ll find a large Roman bathtub with separate shower, a roomy vanity with double sinks, and access to a laundry room.

The fully equipped kitchen has glass-front and open cabinets that add visual depth to the room, matching appliances, and enough counter space to easily prepare a large meal.

In the open floor plan, the living and dining rooms are brought together by glossy tile. There’s also an expansive sliding glass door to the balcony that fills the 1,919-square-foot condo with bright Florida sunshine.

There’s also a guest bedroom and another full bathroom in the condo, but the most valuable player in this space is the view. A wraparound balcony offers up impressive views of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as views of skyscrapers and yacht-filled marinas in the neighborhood.

It is hard to say where the three-time All-Pro wideout will land after the Colts announced that they wouldn’t re-sign the 14-year veteran. Now that the 36-year-old is a free agent, rumors are flying about who might sign him next. The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and even the Jacksonville Jaguars are rumored to be in the running for his services.

Wayne has racked up 82 touchdowns in his career, and it’ll be interesting to see if the former Colt can make the cut in a new city. While his on-field fate is up in the air, he’s keeping his options open in Miami.


(realtor.com)

After 14 standout seasons filled with accolades, former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne is poised for one more honor: The key to the city.

Wayne, who was released by the Colts in March, will be presented with the key by Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard. The Associated Press says Wayne will be recognized as part of Indiana University's Pacers Sports and Entertainment luncheon on July 17.

The six-time Pro Bowler, who was the Colts' first-round pick in 2001, had more than 14,000 yards receiving during his career with Indianapolis. Wayne helped lead to the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl XLI.

Ballard reportedly cited Wayne's contributions to the community and status as a role model as reasons for the honor.


(foxsports.com)

Speaking to reporters for the first time since his employer for 14 seasons, the Indianapolis Colts, elected not to bring him back for another year, Reggie Wayne said Thursday night he intends to play a 15th NFL season next fall.

For which team -- the New England Patriots? Denver Broncos? -- remains to be seen.

Wayne, at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse to judge Thursday's State Farm College Slam Dunk contest, said his plan is to find a team to contribute to next season.

"I still feel like I got some juice left," Wayne said. "I'm just going to play the cards the way they're dealt and go from there."

Wayne said repeatedly last season he could never imagine himself slipping on a different uniform than his trusty blue and white No. 87, the jersey he's worn since the Colts drafted him in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Now, it appears, he's come to grips with his new reality: If his NFL career is to continue, it will come in a different city, playing for a different team.

Wayne is the Colts' all-time leader in games played, and ranks second in franchise history in receptions (1,070), receiving yards (14,345), touchdowns (80), 100-yard games (43) and consecutive games with a catch (134). He sits seventh in NFL history in career receptions and eighth in receiving yards.

But it was evident throughout 2014 Wayne was far from his best. On Thursday night, he admitted to being injured throughout the season.

"I wasn't healthy," he said. "I was nowhere near healthy. I played the whole year hurt. Finally, playing hurt got to me."

Wayne missed the final nine games of the 2013 season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Recovered in time for the 2014 campaign, Wayne tore his left triceps muscle midway through the year but fought through the injury for most of the season. He settled for 64 catches and just two touchdowns, and had only one catch in the team's three postseason games.
All of which played into the decision by owner Jim Irsay and general manager Ryan Grigson to not bring back Wayne, who became a free agent last month.

"That's the way it goes," Wayne said. "I've seen a lot of people come and go. What makes me different?"
Wayne said he holds no ill will towards the Colts.

"Ever since I was a young pup, they brought me in here and gave me an opportunity," he said.

He also professed his appreciation for a fan base he's been a favorite of for more than a decade.

"Love all the fans," he said. "Without the fans, there would be no me. I appreciate everything from day one. I'm extremely humbled. I wish I could give them all a personal hug."

Of making the decision to release Wayne, Irsay said last week at the NFL owner meetings: "Him and I had a very long talk, face-to-face, man-to-man. It was really hard.

"I told Reggie I just thought that we felt that it was time."

For Wayne now, he enters unfamiliar territory, same as longtime teammate Peyton Manning did after the Colts released him in March of 2012: He's looking for a new team for the first time in his career.

"I'm just living the dream," Wayne said. "Trying to keep it moving."


(indystar.com)

The Final Four is coming to Indianapolis this weekend, and that means the eyes of the college basketball world will be focused on Indianapolis over the coming days.  The event is much more than just three games, however, as there will be other events taking place to celebrate the festivities, including a three--point contest and a dunk contest.

Both events will be held in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse (the home of the Butler Bulldogs) this Thursday night, April 2, and will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET.  While the event will have an Indiana-feel regardless due to the fact that it's at Hinkle, the judges of the slam dunk contest will also be very recognizable names in Indiana and to Colts fans.

Star Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and former Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne are among the four judges for the event.  In addition to being great wide receivers on the field, both are basketball fans and like to have fun, which will make Thursday night's event even better.

There will be a few Indiana players participating in the contests, too.  In the slam dunk contest, Purdue's Jon Octeus will be competing, while Butler's Alex Barlow and Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton will be competing in the three point contest.  You can read the full list of participants here.

So while there are no Indiana teams in the Final Four this year, that doesn't mean there won't be Indiana influence this weekend.  Indianapolis is hosting the festivities, while two very notable Colts players will be judges for the slam dunk contest and three Indiana players will be competing in the two contests on Thursday night.


(stampedeblue.com)

PHOENIX -- There was a lot of sadness, disappointment and even anger from some Indianapolis Colts fans on the morning of March 6 when the team announced it would not be re-signing veteran receiver Reggie Wayne.

There was a lot of emotion from owner Jim Irsay when he flew down to Florida to meet with Wayne, who spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise, to break the news to him face-to-face, man-to-man that was it time to part ways with him.

"He understood where the franchise was coming from in the end and we wish him well with whatever he decides on," Irsay said Monday. "It was really hard. I knew that when you kind of let that era from Peyton's era and Edgerrin (James) and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie and everyone. It's hard to let that era go because it was so special. But at the same time, in terms of the direction we thought the team had to go in, it was tough."

Irsay or general manager Ryan Grigson could have easily called Wayne or asked him to fly up to Indianapolis to meet with them, but they respect him too much to do that.

Wayne gave his all to the Colts during his time with the franchise. He totaled 1,070 receptions, 14,345 yards, 82 touchdowns and helped Indianapolis win a Super Bowl in his career.

But it was also obvious that Wayne wasn't the same player last season. He had his worst season since 2002 last season, totaling 64 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns while dealing with an elbow and torn triceps in the second half of the season.

Wayne would have been the Colts' third receiver at best if the team re-signed him.

"I just think that we always look at making sure we can put the best possible team on the field," Irsay said. "It's professional football. It's very competitive and it has to do with winning and losing. So you can't let affection or emotion cloud your decisions when you're building your roster. And that's what I mean. It always comes down to what's the best direction for the franchise to go. And that's the way decisions get made."

Irsay said Wayne is feeling good believes he wants to try to play at least another season.

"If he does, we support that," the owner said.


(espn.com)

The Indianapolis Colts made quite a splash in free agency by landing highly sought after veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson just two days after he was released. Two former Colts veteran receivers aren't receiving the same treatment from other teams, however.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Hakeem Nicks has been one of a number of receivers who has generated "little to no interest" so far during the free agency period, while the market for Reggie Wayne has similarly been "MIA throughout the first seven days of free agency."

It doesn't really come as much of a surprise that there is currently little interest for either player, though as the offseason moves on it's more likely that one or both of the players could receive some attention from teams.  They were never going to be near the first wave of free agency, though, and so as we're just one week into the free agency period it's no surprise to see neither generating much interest.

Wayne, a borderline Hall of Famer who is one of the greatest Colts of all-time, had a down year in 2014 as he played much of the season with a torn triceps, catching 64 passes for 779 yards and two scores on the year.  The team announced that they would not be re-signing the fan favorite, though he might listen to offers from contenders.

Nicks signed with the Colts last offseason on a "prove it," and, well, he didn't really prove it.  For much of the season he was completely ineffective and had no timing with Andrew Luck, though he noticeably improved as the season went on.  Playing in all 16 games and starting six, Nicks caught 38 passes for 405 yards and four scores.


(stampedeblue.com)

Reggie Wayne is class personified.

The veteran wide receiver spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, racking up six Pro Bowl appearances along with three selections as a first-team All-Pro. The team decided not to offer him a new contract this year, making him a free agent.

On Friday, Wayne sent a letter to all the Colts fans via the IndyStar. Here it is in full:

With the 30th pick in the 2001 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts decided to take a chance on me. They allowed me to wear the horseshoe and represent the organization. With that pick they made my childhood dream come true. I bled blue and white for 14 years, and I was truly grateful for the opportunity to play a kids game week in and week out. Everyone who plays this game has to make a huge "sacrifice" to become the best football player they could possibly be. I laid it on the line every day and stayed committed to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

During this same time, Jim Irsay and the Irsay family embraced me as one of their own. Jim's door was always open to me no matter the situation or the circumstance. For that I will always be thankful. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to call myself a Colt.

To Coach Mora, Coach Dungy, Coach Caldwell and the man I have known since my college days, Coach Pagano - you and your staffs always put in time to help me perfect my craft. You allowed me to evolve as a player on the field. You accepted me for who I am and trusted me to be a vital part of the team.

To every teammate that has laced up with me throughout my Colts career - thank you for playing with heart, passion and dedication. We were successful because of our selflessness as we worked towards a common goal. We always treated each other with TRUST, LOYALTY and RESPECT.

To the state of Indiana, Colts Nation and especially the 317 - thank you for making this my home away from home. As a Louisiana kid, I came from a community that really embraces its own, and Indianapolis did that with me from day one. That made my transition here all those years ago so easy, and now there are so many of you that I call my friends. I am going to miss the REG-GIE chants before every home game, where each time I felt like I got a personal "good luck" wish from each of you. My goal every game was to give everyone in the stadium and at home watching on TV all I could because all of you deserved nothing less. I can't thank you enough for all the love and support all of you have given me.

Thanks for everything Colts Nation!

Reggie Wayne, #87

Good luck, Reggie!

A lot has happened in the last 48 hours in the NFL as far as Free Agent signings and our proCanes have been at the center of it all with several proCane stars joining new teams. See a recap of all the action below:

Former 49ers RB Frank Gore signed a 3-year $12 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.

Former Texans WR Andre Johnson signed a 3-year $21 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.

TE Jimmy Graham was traded from the New Orleans Saints to Seattle Seahawks.

Former Giants S Antrel Rolle signed a 3-year $11.25 million contract with the Chicago Bears.

Former Redskins WR Leonard Hankerson signed a 1-year $1 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

OT Eric Winston re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Broncos OL Orlando Franklin signed a 5-year $36 million contract with the San Diego Chargers.

OT Jason Fox re-signed with the Miami Dolphins.

MLB Jon Beason re-signed with the NY Giants.

Notable proCane Free Agents still available: Chris Myers, Brandon Meriweather, Santana Moss, Colin McCarthy, Reggie Wayne, Vince Wilfork, DJ Williams, Darryl Sharpton.

When the Indianapolis Colts decided to part ways with receiver Reggie Wayne last Friday, it was the end of another era in Colts’ history. Like Peyton Manning, Wayne was an image of loyalty and longevity to the franchise.

But also like Manning’s situation, the Colts had to make a football decision -- they're trying to move towards the future, and a 14-year veteran who was declining couldn’t be a part of their plans anymore.

Nevertheless, Reggie Wayne has quietly been one of the best receivers in the game over the last 14 seasons despite an injury-filled 2013 season and a 2014 campaign that saw him put up some of the worst numbers of his career. Wayne was almost always a consistent producer for the Colts, being targeted at least 100 times and catching at least 64 passes in all but three years with the team.

Wayne went on to have a career with eight different 1,000-yard seasons, and currently sits at eighth on the all-time list in receiving yards with 14,355. Wayne was never one to catch a lot of touchdowns, but still had more than nine touchdown receptions on four occasions and only finished with fewer than four in a season three times.

What do our advanced metrics say about his career in Indy?

Playing with Peyton
In the conversation of receivers, we use Target Net Expected Points and Reception Net Expected Points data. You can read more about Net Expected Points in our glossary.

Target NEP tells us how a receiver did on all the targets he received and accounts for whether the pass was dropped or even intercepted, giving us the big picture of how well a receiver performs. Reception NEP is data that just focuses on how much a receiver contributes when he catches the ball. When we look at Wayne’s metrics with Peyton Manning, there were few that were better than he was.

Year	Reception NEP	Target NEP	Reception NEP/Target	Catch Rate
2001	26.07	11.25	0.53	55.10%
2002	63.68	34.95	0.88	68.06%
2003	81.94	34.14	0.77	63.55%
2004	114.01	75.49	0.99	66.96%
2005	94.37	67.12	0.77	68.03%
2006	134.46	89.34	0.98	62.77%
2007	120.50	67.86	0.77	66.67%
2008	107.65	60.38	0.83	63.08%
2009	117.57	51.14	0.79	67.11%
2010	111.73	47.48	0.63	63.07%

In 2001, Reggie Wayne put up paltry Reception and Target NEP numbers, but when we look at receivers who were targeted between 40 and 60 times that season, Wayne was 11th of 27 receivers in Target NEP. However, Wayne’s Reception NEP was in the bottom third of the same 27 receivers, the worst total of his career.
2002 through 2010 saw Wayne blossom into one of the top receivers in the league though, even with Marvin Harrison on the opposite side of the field. While Harrison was a top-six receiver during Wayne’s first three seasons according to our Target NEP, they both became lethal threats for Manning from 2004 to 2006, as both receivers finished in the top-11 in each season.

In fact, 2006 saw both Wayne and Harrison destroy secondaries one week at a time, finishing first and second in both Target and Reception NEP. Wayne posted a career high 89.34 Target NEP while Harrison posted the second best Target NEP of his career with 73.12 points. Wayne’s 134.46 Reception NEP in 2006 was also the highest of his career, as he and Harrison combined for over 2,600 receiving yards to help the Colts win the Super Bowl that season.

Wayne continued to be productive throughout his career, notching a career high –- and leading the league –- in receiving yards with 1,510 yards in 2007. After 2006, Wayne notched two more top-five Target NEP seasons as well as two additional seasons within the top 11, sustaining his excellent production for the Colts.
Unlucky With Luck

2011 was the year before Andrew Luck was drafted, but with Peyton Manning having neck surgery, Wayne had the displeasure of catching passes from Curtis Painter, Kerry Collins and Dan Orlovsky. 2012 saw the arrival of Luck and a better year all around for the Colts. But did Reggie Wayne perform as well as he did with Manning?

Year	Reception NEP	Target NEP	Reception NEP/Target	Catch Rate
2011	78.87	21.35	0.60	56.82%
2012	117.80	13.37	0.61	54.64%
2013	45.42	22.70	0.77	66.10%
2014	61.01	-0.99	0.53	55.17%

2011 was mostly a year for Wayne to forget as the trio or Painter, Orlovsky and Collins threw a combined -59.67 Passing NEP, which would have been the third worst Passing NEP of 2011 -- even worse than Tim Tebow. Wayne had his first down year as he entered his 11th season, though that shouldn’t have been a surprise, as our own Joe Juan pointed out recently that years 9, 10 and 11 are usually the start of a decline for a receiver.

In 2011, Wayne finished with a sub-100 Reception NEP total for the first time since 2005, and his Target NEP was his worst since his rookie year. While the quarterback situation didn’t help, Wayne didn’t help himself either, as his catch rate was the lowest of his career. Additionally, his 0.60 Reception NEP per target showed he wasn’t nearly as efficient as season's prior.

Things did start to look better in 2012 though, as Wayne received 194 targets on the season, a career high and third-highest total since 2000. However, an extremely high volume of targets wasn’t as beneficial as it could have been.

Of the 21 receivers that have been targeted at least 175 times since 2000, Wayne’s wasn’t the best -- his 13.37 Target NEP was the lowest of the 21 receivers, while his efficiency was only 0.61 Reception NEP per target, the sixth worst of this group. Wayne contributed 117.80 Reception NEP too, but it was only the 25th best in 2012.

The injury bug finally caught up to Wayne in 2013. At the time of his injury, he was experiencing a renaissance year, as his Reception NEP per target was at 0.77, just slightly above his career average and his highest mark since 2009. In fact, if we were to extrapolate his numbers for 2013, he could have finished with another top-16 season in Reception NEP, right in line with another NFL veteran, Andre Johnson.

The 2014 season was a dud though, giving the Colts reason to part ways with Wayne. His -0.99 Target NEP was the worst of his career, as Wayne posted a career low in Reception NEP per target, and was well below his career averages in the rest of our metrics and other statistical categories.

Defining Wayne’s Career
It’s not as though Wayne had two amazing years and then just flamed out. Wayne had a long, productive career with the Colts, and happens to hold a couple numberFire records, too.

Reggie Wayne accumulated 595.59 Target NEP over the course of his career. That's the most we’ve seen since collecting our data in 2000. Wayne holds a 40.42-point margin over the second-place receiver, Randy Moss. Wayne also accumulated 1,275.06 Reception NEP over his 14 seasons -- that's also a record, though his margin over Moss, again, is larger at 69.72 Reception NEP.

Reggie Wayne enjoyed productive years with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and was able to help one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks as well. Forget about his down year in 2014 and remember Wayne for his unwavering loyalty and career numbers that may take a while to surpass.


(numberfire.com)

The Indianapolis Star reports free agent Reggie Wayne will consider playing for a team other than the Colts.

Wayne had said he would not play for any other team, but the Colts decision to not even offer him a new contract has changed his mind. 36-years-old and coming off a dismal season, it is not guaranteed Wayne will receive any offers even if he is open to playing somewhere else. The future Hall of Famer may be coming to the end of the road.


(rotoworld.com)

It didn’t take much for New England Patriots fans to become giddy over the thought of Andre Johnson losing his job. The receiver either will be cut or traded by the Houston Texans after refusing to take on a reduced role, The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reported Monday night. Patriots fans have longed after Johnson for years, and now that he’s 33 years old and in the twilight of his career, he might finally be available. Johnson would be a fine fit with the Patriots, but fans better know that they wouldn’t be getting Johnson circa 2009. They would be getting a player who just spent a year in Bill O’Brien’s offense and would likely be grateful at the shot to compete for a Super Bowl title.

REGGIE WAYNE Wayne is in a similar place as his fellow “The U” product, Johnson. Wayne isn’t what he used to be, but he still could be a valuable weapon for the Patriots as a No. 3 receiver.

Wayne has experience playing outside or in the slot, and the Patriots showed interest in him when he was a free agent two offseasons ago.


(nesn.com)

Reggie Wayne will have plenty of time to ponder his NFL future over the next few months.

Two months after revealing that he would require surgery to repair a torn triceps, Wayne has undergone the procedure, reports NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, via a source informed of the situation.

Wayne is now rehabbing as he contemplates retirement, adds Rapoport.

Along with knee and elbow injuries, the torn triceps rendered Wayne a drop-prone blocking specialist unable to make plays over the final two months of the season.
Last we heard from the 36-year-old in early January, he was leaning toward returning for a 15th season -- provided the Colts leave the door open. Wayne has no interest in playing for another team.

Even if Wayne returns, the Colts realize they need a reliable No. 2 receiver opposite T.Y. Hilton. General manager Ryan Grigson is reportedly eyeing the open market for an upgrade on free agent Hakeem Nicks.

Whether or not Wayne plays in 2015, Chuck Pagano's squad has a better chance of winning if the venerable wide receiver's role is reduced.


(nfl.com)

Whether we've seen the last of Reggie Wayne isn't yet known.

But if the Indianapolis Colts great decides to return for a 15th season, it will set in motion a series of difficult decisions for the franchise.

Among them: Can it find a place for an aging receiver coming off one of his worst seasons? And what's a fair price for a player who clearly would have a greatly reduced role but who also is one of the franchise's greatest players?

Those are complicated matters that must be dealt with in a manner that doesn't disrespect an Indianapolis icon.

Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that neither has had any recent discussions with Wayne, whose contract expires next month.

The team already has acquired CFL standout Duron Carter, son of Hall-of-Fame receiver Cris Carter. He's expected to be an important part of the rotation, though that's still a projection because of his lack of NFL experience.

Whether we've seen the last of Reggie Wayne isn't yet known.

But if the Indianapolis Colts great decides to return for a 15th season, it will set in motion a series of difficult decisions for the franchise.

Among them: Can it find a place for an aging receiver coming off one of his worst seasons? And what's a fair price for a player who clearly would have a greatly reduced role but who also is one of the franchise's greatest players?

Those are complicated matters that must be dealt with in a manner that doesn't disrespect an Indianapolis icon.

Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that neither has had any recent discussions with Wayne, whose contract expires next month.

The team already has acquired CFL standout Duron Carter, son of Hall-of-Fame receiver Cris Carter. He's expected to be an important part of the rotation, though that's still a projection because of his lack of NFL experience.

He finished with a respectable 64 catches for 779 yards but was significantly less impactful late in the season than early on. Wayne's partially-torn triceps was certainly a factor, but his legs seemed to also lose a gear as the season wore on.

Wayne's triceps required surgery, meaning much of his offseason will entail rehab. But if he can regain his form from early in 2014, Wayne would have some definite appeal to the Colts. For example, flash back to September, when Wayne had nine catches for 98 yards against the Denver Broncos and seven catches for 119 yards against the Tennessee Titans.

Wayne's situation remains fluid for the Colts. At some point, there will be some difficult conversations. That time is coming.

"He's got my number," Pagano said, "and I've got his."


(indystar.com)

Colts GM Ryan Grigson indicated at the Combine that he's unsure of free agent Reggie Wayne's desire to keep playing.

Wayne's performance fell off a cliff in 2014 as he attempted to return from a torn ACL at age 36. He had a negative impact on Indianapolis' offense. Grigson acknowledged Wayne still means a lot "to the organization," but his future is "up in the air." We would not expect Wayne back in Indy.


(rotoworld.com)

NEWS UPDATE
Wayne told reporters following Sunday's loss to the Patriots that he'll undergo offseason surgery to repair a torn triceps, ESPN.com reports. "I don't have a date set yet, but it's definitely on the calendar somewhere," he said. "At the end of the year, I felt the best I felt all year. Felt really good, felt really good tonight."

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS
Wayne got off to a strong start in 2014, but his numbers tailed off toward the middle of the season, and it was later revealed that he was playing through a torn triceps. The veteran missed only one game, finishing the season with 64 catches for 779 yards and two touchdowns. Wayne, who will be a free agent this offseason, said he has not yet decided whether or not he'll return for a 15th NFL season.


(rotowire.com)

Reggie Wayne won't let himself start thinking about it until Nashville. Up to that point in the ride, it's only music. A lot of very loud music.

The Colts veteran receiver will soon pack his car and make the same 16-hour drive he makes after every season finishes. He'll head home to Miami. On the way, after he blasts music the first four hours, he'll begin to think about whether or not he wants to return for a 15th season with the Indianapolis Colts.

"Once I hit Nashville, I'll figure out the rest," Wayne said Monday, a day after Indianapolis fell 45-7 in the AFC Championship Game to New England. "I'll make my outline and go from there. I don't have a plan. I've never had one. I just gotta make a couple phone calls, say a couple of prayers and see what route the good Lord sends me."

Wayne is a free agent come March. Retire or return? It's the decision he'll weigh while he drives home to his wife and three sons in South Beach and ponders if he's played his last game in the NFL.

While it's uncertain whether the Colts want the aging wideout back, Wayne reiterated on several occasions late in the season that he can't imagine himself suiting up for any other team. It appears he'll either play for the Colts or he won't play at all.

"I haven't talked to Reggie yet," owner Jim Irsay said before the divisional round of the playoffs. "We haven't started to really have any deep conversations with Chuck (Pagano) and Ryan (Grigson) and I in terms of how the roster's going to shape up after this.

"He's had an unbelievable career," Irsay continued. "For the future, we haven't decided yet."

But would Pagano – a friend of Wayne's dating back to their Miami days in the late 1990s – really be surprised if he saw No. 87 come the opening day of training camp in late July?

"Would I be shocked? No," said the Colts coach. "You guys know how Reggie's wired, you know his work ethic."

If Wayne does elect to return with the Colts, he may be in line for a pay cut. His production waned significantly down the stretch – the 36-year-old was never the same after he hurt his elbow in a Week 7 win over Cincinnati. Wayne just completed the third and final year of a $17.5 million deal he signed before the 2012 campaign.

His body of work through 14 seasons remains one of the most prolific by a wide receiver in NFL history: He's seventh all-time in catches (1,070), eighth in yards (14,345) and 22nd in touchdowns (82). Since 2001, no receiver in the league has caught more passes or hauled in more yards.

"I do have family (to call)," Wayne said of the impending decision. "I'll call them, sit down with them and we'll talk. A lot of times I make calls to them just to make sure I stay up on the road."

He's coming off his least-productive full season since 2002 – his second year in the league – and was nearly invisible down the stretch while the Colts advanced one game shy of Super Bowl XLIX. Wayne finished with 64 catches for 779 yards and two touchdowns but had just one catch on five targets in three playoff games.
His season started strong. Wayne was Wayne again, it appeared, after his 2013 campaign was lost seven weeks in last October when he crumpled to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium one night with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

He worked his way back and resembled the Reggie of old early on in 2014: Nine catches for 98 yards in Week 1, seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. He was back.

When it soured, though, it soured quickly. Wayne injured his left elbow in a Week 7 win over Cincinnati. After missing one game, he returned to play in every one the rest of the way. Problem was: He wasn't the same player. He caught just 17 balls over the final six weeks of the regular season and didn't score a single touchdown.

That elbow injury turned out to be a partially-torn triceps – he'll undergo surgery soon – and he aggravated his groin in a Week 17 win in Tennessee. On Monday, a day after his fourth postseason loss to New England, he showed up at the team's 56th Street facility to clean out his locker and enter the unknown of the offseason.
Wayne was asked if Sunday's loss might've been the last time he steps foot on an NFL field.

"The last thing on my mind," he said. "The first thing on my mind (this morning) was, 'Who the hell is going to help me clean out my locker?' I haven't even thought of it. That's not something I go out of my way to even worry about. It's already written, man. There's nothing I can do about that."

Late this season, Wayne moved past longtime teammate Peyton Manning and became the franchise's all-time leader in games played. He's made the playoffs in 12 of 14 seasons. He's earned six Pro Bowl nods. He's played in two Super Bowls and helped the Colts to the 2006 world championship.

On Monday, as the team gathered to close the book on the 2014 season, he addressed his offensive teammates about how the little things always seem to catch up to teams in the playoffs. None could say for sure if Wayne's played his final game as a Colt.

"I'm not going to think about that right now, so I won't opine on that," quarterback Andrew Luck said.

"He already knows he's got to talk to me about it before he makes a decision," his understudy at receiver, T.Y. Hilton, said late in the season.

Wayne's in no rush – "I'll be somewhere warm thinking about it and I'll go from there," he said – while he swallows the reality of another season falling short of the Colts' ultimate goal. Regardless, his legacy is secure, his place in franchise lore undisputed.

He was one of the best ever to wear the horseshoe. Now he has a decision to make.

"The game will fade for all of us," Pagano said. "But the relationships will last forever."


(indystar.com)

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)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne had little interest in talking about former teammate Peyton Manning heading into their playoff match.

"[Manning's] on the other team right now," Wayne said last week. "I'll holler at him later. Right now, it's all about [No.] 12."

That time came Sunday.

After the Colts beat the Denver Broncos to advance to the AFC Championship Game, Manning found Wayne on the field and congratulated him on the victory.

"It’s family," Wayne said. "Even when you’ve played with him and they've moved on, you still have that relationship. Wish each other the best. I expect nothing less from Peyton by him coming over and congratulating and wishing us well. If it was vice versa, I would have done the same thing."

In what could be the final meeting between Manning and Wayne, the Broncos quarterback finished 26-of-46 for 211 yards, was sacked twice and had only one touchdown pass. Wayne didn't have any receptions, as he was only targeted once by quarterback Andrew Luck.


(espn.com)

#proCane #Colts WR Reggie Wayne, TE Erik Swoope, Special Assistant Rob Chudzinski and Head Coach Chuck Pagano have advanced to the #AFCChampionship to take on DL Vince Wilfork and the #Patriots, while in the #NFCChampionship game #Packers DB Sam Shields, Senior Personnel Executive Alonzo Highsmith and Scout Glenn Cook will take on the #Seahawks and Practice Squad T Justin Renfrow and Scout Dan Morgan.

Reggie Wayne was held catch-less on one target in the Colts' Divisional Round win over the Broncos.

Wayne had some nice blocks in the running game, but was a non-factor as usual as a receiver. Peyton Manning looked washed up in Sunday's playoff game, and so does his old teammate. Don't expect 36-year-old Wayne to reemerge as a passing-game weapon in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.


(rotoworld.com)

In the closing moments of Sunday's game at Lucas Oil Stadium, something unsurprising happened: The crowd started chanting "Reg-gie! Reg-gie!"

You know the routine. Fans were paying tribute to receiver Reggie Wayne, which isn't a new phenomenon in these parts.

But the context on Sunday made this situation different than the countless other times you've heard adoration for Wayne.

Sunday's game could have been Wayne's last in Indianapolis.

Wayne hasn't offered any hints of his future intentions, but the signs are all there: His contract is expiring, his body is beat up, and the Colts are getting younger at wide receiver while Wayne is 36 and counting. Retirement is certainly on the table.

The Colts won't play at home again this season unless they beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday in the division round and the Baltimore Ravens upset the New England Patriots. That would set up an AFC Championship Game in Indianapolis.

So, after the game was over, the question was unavoidable. Wayne was asked whether he thought the chants were something of a sendoff.

"Well, they've (done that before)," Wayne said. "I appreciate them showing appreciation and I do everything I possibly can to show the love back. These people in Indiana have had my back since 2001. Fourteen years later, they still have my back. It's been awesome to be here. ... getting all the support I get week in and week out.

"I don't have the words. I wish I could buy everybody a hot dog or something."

Wayne faces offseason surgery on his torn left triceps and is fighting through other assorted aches and pains, including a sore groin muscle.

But give Wayne credit for bouncing back the past few weeks, when he's pushed through the pain to help the Colts win games. The drops that afflicted Wayne in the weeks after his triceps injury have subsided, and Wayne even threw a key block on Sunday, allowing running back Boom Herron to pick up a first down.

Will Wayne be back? He's not saying just yet. What he will talk about, however, is that he has at least one more game to play on Sunday against a Broncos team that defeated the Colts in Week 1.

"You just want another opportunity to play," Wayne said. "Regardless if it's a team we lost to or whatever. Whenever we lose, you just want another opportunity to play again. Denver is next on the list.

"I'm just glad I'm still working."

And he'll do so with those aforementioned fans in mind. The hot dogs might not be forthcoming. But Wayne offers something more important.

"I do everything I possibly can," he said, "to show the appreciation back in the way I play."


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - A 9-year-old boy's life-long dream to meet Colts WR Reggie Wayne finally came true Tuesday night.

For one year and 10 days, Dylan Eickhoff has worn a No. 87 Colts jersey to school, practice and even to bed.

"We had a family wedding and he wore a bow tie around the jersey," one family member said.

Dylan wore the jersey in hopes of catching the attention of his favorite player, Reggie Wayne.

"There was this one kid who wore a Brett Favre jersey and got to meet Brett Favre. I was going to do the same with Reggie Wayne," he said.

The jersey has certainly seen its better days, but that didn't stop Dylan from meeting his idol.

"It's got holes in the back," he said.

Dylan stumbled as he walked up to meet Wayne, who was equally gracious.

"That's what it's all about; just seeing Dylan come in with a smile on his face," Wayne said.

While many predict this will be Wayne's last season, Dylan thinks otherwise.

He's predicting we'll see No. 87 on the field for at least another two or three years.




(theindychannel.com)

Reggie Wayne caught a lot of passes from Peyton Manning over their years together in Indianapolis and his answer to a question about his future with the Colts suggests he might have received something else from his longtime teammate.

Wayne was on his weekly WNDE radio show this week when the subject of his impending free agency came up. The Colts won’t play at home again this year unless they and the Ravens advance to the AFC Championship Game, which means Sunday could be Wayne’s final game in Indy as a member of the team.

“If I had to answer that question right now, [the answer to] that question would be ‘I will be back,'” Wayne said. “If the Colts want me. Because I’m not playing for nobody else.”

It’s similar phrasing to Manning’s answer about his future with the Broncos — “I certainly plan on being back if the Broncos will have me” — but that’s about where the similarities end. There wasn’t any question about Denver’s desire to have Manning back after they’ve constructed their entire roster around having him as their quarterback.

Things aren’t as clear in Indianapolis. Be it because of injuries or age, Wayne has slowed down considerably this season and will have surgery on a partially torn triceps after the season. Wayne is a franchise icon, but the Colts may have the desire to move in a different direction rather than bet against father time in 2015 and Wayne might rethink his refusal to consider other teams if they do.


(profootballtalk.com)

Reggie Wayne has won more games with the Colts than Peyton Manning, and stuck around Indianapolis longer than Marvin Harrison.

He’d rather pass his ex-teammates in an even more meaningful category: Super Bowl rings.

The 36-year-old receiver with the fun-loving personality and the blue-collar work ethic is intent on making his 12th, and perhaps final NFL play-off appearance, the most rewarding of his 14-year career.

“New Year’s Eve, I’m saying to myself, ‘Man, when was the last time a (Colts&rsquo season ended before New Year’s Eve’?” Wayne said Friday. “I sat up there and said, ‘Well, it’s either go to a New Year’s Party or go practice football’. I’d rather practice football.”

Wayne has never willingly taken plays or practices off, which is why he remains one of the respected players in the locker room and around his adopted hometown.
And although Wayne doesn’t appear to be the kind of guy who wants to give up his dream job early, an expiring contract and an increasingly banged-up body might not leave him with a choice.

After ending 2013 on injured reserve with a torn ACL, Wayne insisted he could defy the odds and make a comeback in 2014. The Louisiana native reluctantly agreed to take occasional practices off at training camp and throughout the season to keep him in better health.

The plan seemed to work initially as Wayne got off to a solid start. But on October 19, against Cincinnati, Wayne tore the triceps in his left arm and hasn’t been the same since.

Things looked even bleaker last weekend when Wayne pulled his groin at Tennessee, an injury the former University of Miami star said won’t keep him out Sunday against the Bengals (10-5-1) in what could be Wayne’s final home game.

His stats are down, too. Though Wayne only missed one game, he wound up with the worst numbers of any season that he played 10 or more games – 64 catches, 779 yards and two touchdowns – since 2002.

Not surprisingly, the combination has led to increasing speculation about Wayne’s possible retirement.

Wayne has acknowledged he wants to speak with his family before making a decision, and on his weekly radio show this week, Wayne said he didn’t want to play for another team.

Colts owner Jim Irsay recently told The Associated Press he planned to wait until after the season to discuss Wayne’s future with general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano, but Wayne’s teammates are already lobbying him to return.

“I’m not going to let him leave me right now,” Pro Bowl receiver TY Hilton said Friday. “I’ll have a talk with him whenever that time comes. I told him ‘Talk to your family, talk to your kids, but when you’re finished with that, make sure you come talk to me’.”

A year ago, 41-year-old kicker Adam Vinatieri found himself in a similar situation. The Colts (11-5) wound up re-signing the oldest player in the league to a two-year deal, and Vinatieri rewarded them with a nearly perfect season and an All-Pro selection.

This year the Colts will have to make decisions about Wayne, 34-year-old defensive end Cory Redding, who followed Pagano to Indy three years ago to help rebuild the Colts defence, and backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, a former Super Bowl starter who began his career by backing up Brett Favre and could end it by backing up Andrew Luck.

“I’ve got a 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son and they’re all into sports, so I don’t want to miss out on that,” said Hasselbeck, who turns 40 in September. “But I’d be shocked if, after the season, I didn’t want to play next year.”

Wayne has plenty of other reasons to keep playing.

With eight more play-off catches, Wayne would join Jerry Rice (151) as the only players with 100 post-season receptions. Wayne also needs 48 yards to pass Cliff Branch (1,289) for third and 74 yards to pass Michael Irvin (1,315) for second on the career post-season list. Rice is the leader at 2,245.

Wayne also is within 33 receptions and 236 yards of breaking Harrison’s franchise records, and, of course, he’d take another shot at a ring – regardless of what happens this year.

“When you’re playing the game, you’re just telling yourself, ‘I’m not ready to go home. I’m not ready to pack my locker. I’m not ready to move into an off-season just yet’,” Wayne said. “So you go out there and you give it everything you’ve got. You go out there and you want to make sure you leave no stones unturned. Whenever my number’s called, I just want to make sure I shine.”


(thenational.ae)

With the Colts having locked up their division but unlikely to earn a first-round bye, receiver Reggie Wayne "might see less action" during the final two regular-season games, reports the Indianapolis Star. Wayne is playing with a torn triceps.

He played 52 snaps Week 15 after playing 63 the week before. If Wayne's snaps keep dropping, rookie Donte Moncrief and veteran Hakeem Nicks should see more playing time.

Moncrief played 37 snaps and Nicks 21 in last Sunday's win over Houston. The Colts visit Dallas on Sunday as 3-point underdogs.


(cbssports.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Reggie Wayne’s final radio show of the 2014 regular season took place on Tuesday night.

Wayne fielded several questions on game No. 209 and breaking a pair of historic Colts franchise records.

Here are some of the highlights from Wayne joining Query and Schultz:

On playing the most games in Colts history and having the most wins as well:
“It’s definitely humbling. Like you said, there’s so many great players that have been through this organization so it’s definitely humbling. I appreciate it and I appreciate all the support from the fans. They make it easy for me when I’m out there playing.”

On what the post game locker room was like after the game:
“By the time I got in the locker room, everyone was waiting on me and that’s when I got my brothers, my teammates, who want to be funny and do the “Reg-gie” chant. They made a big deal about it and I’m grateful for those guys. I appreciate everything they’ve done for me. That’s my brothers, man. I love them to death. I’d do anything for him. Just to be a part of the whole speech coach Pagano gave and Mr. Irsay gave, it was humbling. It really was.”

On if he felt more comfortable physically against the Texans:
“I felt good. I finally got rid of that ugly brace. I talked my way to get rid of that so I was able to be me a little bit. I was able to get out there, get in the flow of the game. Andrew (Luck) threw me a couple of passes and I was able to catch them. Hopefully we can do more of that.

“I had to get clearance and consult the doctors to make sure it was the right decision (to take off the brace) and they ok’d it. That was like a breath of fresh air. Playing with that, it was definitely uncomfortable. It’s not receiver friendly. That’s why you don’t see many receivers wearing them. Just to get rid of it, I’m excited and now I can go out there and be the 87 that everyone knows.”

On winning another division title:
“It never gets old. They all have their own different feeling to them. I enjoy them all just like it’s my first time doing it.\

“It is (our first goal). We have that stepping stone and to win that division is that first box you can check off. You win the division, you are guaranteed to be in the playoffs. You are guaranteed to have a home game. That’s what you want. That’s what we fight for. We’ve conquered that first step and hopefully we can ride that journey and move on from that first step.”

On the next goal:
“If you still have room to move up into the seeding chart, you want to definitely do that. And you still want to finish off the season strong. We’ve been blessed to have conquer the division but we still have a couple of games left where you want to win those games. You want to win, so you have that feeling rolling into the playoffs.”

On the possibility of resting down the stretch:
“They pay me to play, man. The game is fun. Yeah, we understand there’s a lot of things that can happen during the game but you want to play as much as you can. Me personally, I can’t speak for anyone else, I enjoy the game. I love playing the game. So to go out there and play and compete, that means a lot to me. That’s what I want to do. At the end of the day, that’s not my decision to be made. I have to follow orders. I guess I just have to answer to the higher calling. If they tell me I’m going to sit down, there’s nothing I can do about that. But if it was up to me, I would want to go out there and play.

“Our offense, we haven’t started the last couple of games how we want to so we should want to play. We should want to go out there and kind of work out the kinks that we’ve been missing on.”


(colts.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – In typical kneel down situations, substitutions are rare.

But this wasn’t your normal situation, and Reggie Wayne isn’t your average NFL player.

With just one final snap left in the Colts AFC South clinching win on Sunday, No. 87 trotted back onto the field.

He retreated behind the victory formation, in a game that was about to go final to give Wayne the Colts franchise record of 142 career wins and 209 career games played.

Those left in Lucas Oil Stadium, a number that far outweighed your typical kneel down scenario, knew what was happening.

“Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie,” was their response.

The fans were thanking No. 87, before he returned the favor a few minutes later.

“Since day one, the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, they've been the best when it comes to me,” Wayne said after the game.

“I appreciate them and I just want to do everything I can to keep them having a great time, just cheering for the Colts and not just myself, but these guys in the locker room as well. We just want to give it everything we have and whenever they’re out there, being that 12th man as they always do. It goes bigger than us, so I appreciate everything they've done for me.”

On Sunday, Wayne was the final name announced for the Colts and headed back towards his famed corner to acknowledge those fans.

This week was a little different week for Wayne.

In trying to bounce back from a one-catch performance against Cleveland, Wayne practiced on Wednesday, his normal rest day. He played with a slightly different sleeve on his injured left elbow.

Wayne is a pending free agent and, at the age of 36, he doesn’t know whether there will even be a 2015 season.

With all those questions being asked this week, Wayne got back to what has allowed him to pile up such lofty numbers.

“I just basically told myself that if I'm going to go down, I’m going to go down being me,” Wayne said after the Colts 10th victory in 2014.

“If I'm going to go down, I’m going to go down being me. Just give me the cello and I’m going to play the tune.”

Wayne’s song has Jim Irsay saying he's never been closer to a player than Wayne.

An emotional postgame locker room on Sunday had Wayne receive the lone game ball, with the Colts Owner thanking the man his organization drafted back in 2001.

“The Colts organization, Mr. Irsay and his family, they’ve been outstanding just helping me with my career, believing in me and just giving me an opportunity to be a Colt in the beginning. It's humbling and I’m truly grateful,” Wayne said after his 209th career game.

“I just want to continue on. We got a good team and like I told them in there (the locker room), ‘It’s about team. It isn't about me.’ I just want to do everything I possibly can to help this team out so we can achieve the biggest goal.”

Chuck Pagano and Wayne have known each for more than a decade, with their relationship extending well past the football field.

There was a reason Pagano wanted Wayne to get the ovation he deserved on the final play of the Colts playoff-bound victory.

“(Wayne) embodies everything that we talk about,” Pagano says.

“He represents everything that Mr. Irsay talks about: faith, family and football. Resiliency, put the team first, self-sacrificing, what he's sacrificed, what he's given to this organization, what he's given to this city and this community, he is one of the all-timers. He's going to be in the Ring of Honor at some point. He'll be in the Hall of Fame at some point. He's a very, very, special, special player and a special person."


(colts.com)

The chorus reverberated from inside the locker room, loud enough for the echoes to bounce around the bottom floor of Lucas Oil Stadium.

"Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie!"

This was a jubilant locker room, one packed with players dancing and shouting and basking in the glow of a well-earned triumph, the very first goal these Indianapolis Colts laid out 144 days ago on a Wednesday night at Anderson University. Nearly four months later, they're division champs, again. Playoff-bound, again. Ten-game winners, again.

But this day belonged to one man and his milestone. Chuck Pagano wanted to make certain of it, so he silenced his troops for a victory speech and gave his only game ball to a 36-year-old receiver who had four catches for all of 24 yards.

"If I had a son," Pagano told his team, "this is the guy I'd want him to be like."

"I don't have to say anything, anything," owner Jim Irsay added. "Because you know what this man means to this organization, this city, this team, to you guys."
His teammates answered: "Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie!"

Four catches for 24 yards in this 17-10 win over the Texans aren't the numbers that matter, not on this day. Sunday was about 209 games played. About 142 wins. About one Reggie Wayne.

"He embodies everything that we talk about," Pagano said. "He represents everything that Mr. Irsay talks about: Faith, family and football. Resiliency, team player, puts the team first, self second. What he's sacrificed, what he's given this organization, what he's given to this city and this community, he's one of the all-timers."

It's been nearly a decade and a half since a wide-eyed rookie out of Miami — dubbed 'Plan B' after he was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft when the Colts originally sought a defensive tackle — first stepped foot on the field with Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison. Hundreds more have worn the horseshoe in the years since. Wayne has remained the constant, a bedrock of stability and production.

Now, he stands alone in franchise lore.

Now, no Colt has played in more games.

Now, no Colt has won more games.

"I remember the first time," Wayne said, looking back on his first game with the Colts. That was on September 23, 2001. That was 4,830 days ago.

"It feels like yesterday, but at the same time, it feels like it's been forever."

Sunday also marked a return to form for the aging wideout. It was a week ago he sat on the team bus as it rolled out of Cleveland's First Energy Stadium, the Colts 25-24 winners, Wayne nonetheless appalled at his afternoon. Enough was enough, he told himself, disgusted after he staggered through nothing short of the worst outing of his professional career.

Eight targets. One catch. Three drops.

That wasn't Reggie Wayne.

"I just basically told myself, if I'm going down, I'm going to go down being me," he said.

Wayne had audibled his trusty routine of late, taking an extra day off during the week to heal his aging body and slipping on an arm brace to safeguard a partially-torn left triceps.

Whatever the cause, his play suffered. And sitting on the team bus in Cleveland after another dismal showing, he knew. Knew that wasn't Reggie Wayne.

"Getting a day of rest and all of that, that was never me," said Wayne, who during one stretch of his career went seven years without missing a single practice. "Playing with that big ol' J.J. Watt brace, that wasn't me. If I'm going to go down, I'm going to go down being me. Just give me the cello and I'm going to play the tune.

"I'm not going to do anything that I'm not used to anymore, so it's Reggie of 2001."

Reggie of 2001? Probably not. But Wayne was Wayne this week, teammates said. Every snap. Every practice. Staying after to catch balls, the sort of solitary slog that kept him in this league for 14 long seasons when the average career spans 3.5.

"He didn't do anything extra, because he's always doing something extra," left tackle Anthony Castonzo said.

"He carries himself in such a way that it doesn't show," offered receiver Hakeem Nicks. "He's a pro and he practices like it every day. He knows what he's capable of doing. We know what he's capable of doing."

He practiced every day this week, swapped the elbow brace for an elbow sleeve and caught four passes on five targets. He also drew two downfield penalties on the defense. Most important, he helped the Colts to their 12th playoff appearance in his 14 seasons here.

Wayne speaks and sounds like he's come to grips with the fact that he's amidst the sunset of his stellar career. Ask him about retirement, he talks family. Ask him if he thought Sunday was his final regular-season home game, he talks team.

"I've been down this road before, playing against the same team on a Thursday night three years ago," Wayne says of the 2011 season in which he nearly left in free agency. "That feeling was going through my head the whole game and I wasn't really able to focus on the game so (today) I just said I'm going to put it in God's hands, play the game the way it's supposed to be played and at the end of the season, we'll see what happens."

When will it happen? Wayne vows he doesn't know, says he'd doesn't have time to sit back and think about what 209 means to him or whether this is it. There's a season to finish. There's a playoff game to ready for.

Not until the season is over, he says, is he able to properly put things into perspective. That's when he packs his car and heads for the sun of South Beach, putting the season behind him and pondering what's next.

"That's when I'm sitting back on I-75 and I'm thinking about what we just achieved, how we can get better," he said before adding one last thing. "And what the future holds."


(indystar.com)

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne shared the team lead with four receptions Sunday but managed just 24 yards in his team's 17-10 win over the Texans in Week 15.

Wayne, who is reportedly playing through a triceps injury, has struggled to find big plays over the last four weeks, managing just 70 yards on 12 receptions with no plays longer than 11 yards during his team's last four games, all wins. He'll match up with the Cowboys in Week 16.


(cbssports.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Reggie Wayne will be on the field for his 209th game with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

How effective he’ll be is unknown. Wayne’s dealing with a torn triceps that he doesn’t enjoy talking about.

All that matters to him is that he’ll playing and he’ll be doing his best to help the Colts beat the Houston Texans so that they can wrap up the AFC South for the second straight season.

“If I’m out there playing, then I’m good,” Wayne said. “Point blank.”

End of story.

Wayne originally injured his elbow against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 19. He missed one game and he told coach Chuck Pagano that he was fine.

“I told him I was good; I could make it work. I’m not going to put myself in no danger,” Wayne said.

Wayne will not only pass Peyton Manning for most games played in franchise history Sunday. He could also pass Manning for most wins in franchise history. Both players have won 141 games with the Colts.

“The only thing I’m worrying about is going out there and competing, and being out there with my teammates and just knowing that we have another home game,” Wayne said. “We know how important defending our turf is and we’ve got a hungry Texans team coming in. That’s all I’ve been focused on; nothing more, nothing less. So yeah, maybe down the road when I’m sitting somewhere chilling, it will start to register then.”


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- If history is any indication, at some point on Sunday afternoon against the Houston Texans, the tears may start to slowly roll down the side of Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne's face.

It might be when he’s putting his jersey on. It might be when he pauses for a second and then sprints through the tunnel during pregame introductions. Might be during the national anthem, similar to at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants last month. Or they might not come until Wayne is acknowledged by the public address announcer for moving past Peyton Manning for the most games played in franchise history at 209.

It wouldn't be right if the tears didn't flow for Wayne.

Wayne joined the Colts as a wide-eyed rookie in 2001, simply wanting to fit in alongside Manning, Marvin Harrison and the rest of the offense.

“That’s all I wanted,” Wayne said with a smile that can easily light up a room. “I didn’t want to mess things up.”

Now, 1,061 receptions, 14,207 yards and 82 touchdowns later, Wayne is at the top of the record book for the Colts.

“The talent that he has, the work ethic, I think, combined with that talent has made him a special player, such a productive player. His durability, I think last year, I think it was against us, was the first time we’ve ever seen him get injured and miss any time, so he’s been a true tough guy out there,” Manning, now with the Denver Broncos, said this week. “He’s a Hall of Fame receiver, in my opinion, five years after he decides to retire, you know, go down as one of the all-time great receivers, all-time great Colts. Great guy to play with, great teammate, heck of a wide receiver, too.’’

It’s uncertain how many more games Wayne will add to his total with Indianapolis beyond this season. That's because as hard as it may be for some to admit, Wayne’s career is coming to an end, probably quicker than many want it to be.

Durability had never been issue during Wayne’s first 12 years. But his body has started to break down. It started with the torn ACL last season. He suffered an MCL injury in his surgically repaired knee earlier this season. Then there was an elbow injury that caused him to miss a game and he’s currently dealing with a torn triceps.

Wayne, a free-agent to be, will sit down with his family at the end of the season and weigh his options. One thing that will impact Wayne’s decision – outside of how his body feels – is his family. It’s not fun for Wayne to have to hear about his son’s football games via phone or text. He wants to be Mr. Soccer Dad; you know, the father who's in the stands cheering his children on and giving them tips while playing in the backyard.

Year round, not just during the offseason.

“It’s faith, family, football,” Wayne said. “I don’t think my family would say, ‘Hey, no more’ we still have bills. But at the same time, family is very important. You definitely have to listen to your body and then you weigh your options. All those things play a key role into it. It’s something you never can prepare for until it’s all over.”

Just know that when he decides to finally call it quits, Wayne won’t be one of those players who has second thoughts and comes out of retirement.

And playing for another team? Not going to happen. That’s not how he operates.

“If I’m going to make Corona commercials and put my feet in the sand, they’re going to stay in the sand,” Wayne said. “I’m just happy I’ve made it this far with just one team. That’s hard to do these days.”

Whether his career ends at the end of the season or in the next year or two, Wayne has no regrets. He approached each game, each practice, each offseason workout like he was auditioning for a job. He always wanted to make sure the front office never had any reason to let him go.

“Stability. Longevity. Playmaker,” Colts linebacker Robert Mathis said. “He’s good enough to hang around for 14 years and he’s someone that you want around for 14 years with your young guys. ... He set the standard. He’s set the bar pretty high as far as being a professional.

“He does everything right as far as stuff that needs to be done to be able to be in this game for so long. Fourteen years and only one hiccup, last year, and to come back, bounce back, full-go from it, it just lets you know the guy does the little things right.”


(espn.com)

The round table – that's what they came to call it, the Thursday night dinners that became a weekly tradition for a few tightly knit teammates. A decade later the ritual endures, the group bonded by a brotherhood that stretches beyond the field the men once shared.

Turnover became constant. Blame the ruthless reality of the NFL, which claimed a casualty or two every offseason, but sooner or later most of the round table's original members went from current Indianapolis Colts to former Indianapolis Colts. Raheem Brock was cut. Mike Doss was cut. David Thornton signed with Tennessee. Gary Brackett retired. Some would move away, replaced by younger counterparts.

One of the initial members has been there every Thursday of every season, and on Sunday afternoon inside the visitor's locker room at Cleveland's First Energy Stadium, he slumped in his seat as a crowd of reporters hovered a few feet away, oblivious to his existence. While television camera lights danced off the faces of T.Y. Hilton and Boom Herron, heroes of the Colts' stirring, last-second victory, Reggie Wayne's eyes remained fixed on the floor.

Never had it been so jarring, so apparent: They were the present, Wayne the past.

Wayne, the Colts' 36-year-old wide receiver, leaned forward, back to the world, and ran the palm of his right hand over his smooth scalp. While teammates howled around him, relishing in the joy of their triumph, Wayne dressed in silence. He lifted a tank top above his head and slid it gingerly over his shoulders. He grimaced.
A reporter approached and asked him what he thought of his performance.

"I played like s---," he said.

Most of the members of the original round table – started in 2003 – have moved on from football, their days in the game long expired. Wayne remains the outlier, a relic whose football pulse is still beating. He has played long enough to link two distinct eras of Colts history: He is the bridge between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

But the hard-to-swallow truth is this: Wayne is not the player he once was. Take Sunday. Torn triceps. Sore knee. Bum elbow. In eight targets, the oldest receiver in the league proceeded to drop more passes (three) than he caught (one).

The hints have come – those uncharacteristic drops, the tears that flooded down his face during the national anthem last month, the lack of explosion and elusiveness and dependability he made his name on. His was a career built on blue-collar consistency, on showing up every Sunday, on squashing the doubts that have trailed him since he arrived in Indianapolis 14 years ago. Doubt Wayne? He'd earn the last laugh.

Could he fill the void opposite Marvin Harrison?

Could he become the team's No. 1 receiver after Harrison's exit?

Could he return from an ACL tear last season?

Wayne did it all, and did so without heeding the temptation to ply his trade elsewhere. Edgerrin James, a former college and pro teammate and close Wayne confidant, saw it a decade back. Jettisoned to Arizona after the Colts elected not to bring him back after the 2005 season, James saw the arc of Wayne's career before anyone else.

"I hope you're the one who stays here forever," James told him.

Forever on Sunday reads 209 – Wayne's career games in Indianapolis. It'll be more than Manning, more than Unitas, more than any player who has ever worn a Colts uniform in the 61-year history of the franchise.

A decision beckons. Wayne will become a free agent at season's end, and he's vowed he won't play anywhere else. Hang up his cleats or return for a 15th season? Wayne acknowledges his choice, this time, is as much about family as it is football. His three boys are growing, growing quickly, and he's tired of missing moments he can't get back.

"Whatever the decision is, that will be the decision," he says. "I won't do the whole Brett Favre thing."

Thick into the twilight of his gilded career, Wayne has answered every question but one.

How many Sundays are left?

"You want to squeeze the juice out of the orange as long as you can," he says of this season. "Hopefully, there's still a little bit more juice to squeeze."

The work – Wayne saw it early. Saw Marvin Harrison leave his receiver gloves on the sidelines during practice, because those gloves made catching the football easy, and Harrison wanted the toughest hands on the field. Saw Manning take every snap in practice. Saw Harrison run to the endzone after every catch. Saw Manning, Harrison and James treat practice days like game days.

These guys worked, Wayne thought. He would work too.

"He didn't want to be left out," James remembers.

"The quality of those practices was surreal," adds another longtime Colt, Gary Brackett. "Reggie saw that those guys were always in game mode, so that became his approach too."

Wayne went seven years without missing a practice, 11 without missing a game. He became a Sunday staple, the fourth triplet, mastering the middle the way Harrison owned the sidelines. He became the Colts' Iron Man.

Linger long enough after a Colts training camp workout and you'll find Wayne paired with his trusty companion, the Jugs machine. He'll toss his receiver gloves to the sideline, the way Harrison used to, and snatch a hundred balls under the blazing sun while teammates half his age trickle back to their rooms. It's the sort of work Wayne grew to love a long time ago.

"Marvin Harrison told me one time that you earn your money in practice," Wayne says. "The games? Those are for free."

It stems from his childhood. Ralph and Denise Wayne ran a tight ship for their three boys. Reggie's first love was baseball. Football? Nah. Not for him. He was scared of getting hit. That was until Ralph Wayne, a former college linebacker at Grambling, sat his youngest son down, opened his college yearbook and showed him a picture from his playing days.

"You can't be no chump," he told Reggie. "Because there are no chumps in this house."

From that point, it was always football. Wayne became a two-way star for Marrero Ehret High School outside of New Orleans. In one game, his team trailing 14-0 early, Wayne caught four touchdowns in the second quarter. By his senior year, college coaches were drooling. He chose the University of Miami and became the most prolific receiver in the program's proud history.

But his startling ascent reads smoother than it actually was. Wayne grew so homesick his first summer away that he ran up a $900 phone bill, calling his parents between every two-a-day. In his second start, Wayne played just days after learning his grandmother had died; he caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. It wouldn't be the last time tragedy touched in the middle of a season.

He left after four seasons and figured Indianapolis was the last place he'd end up. With Manning, Harrison and James all on the precipice of their prime, the Colts' offense was set to explode. Then-general manager Bill Polian sought defense in the 2001 draft.

"Talked to every team but the Colts," Wayne remembers.

But Polian couldn't land the bruising defensive tackle he sought. Four went before the Colts' selection, so Polian traded down and grabbed Wayne at No. 30. The move was met with a chorus of criticism in Indianapolis. Another wide receiver? That's the last thing this team needs.

"That's the first time I've heard his name," a surprised Peyton Manning said after the pick. "I was thinking defense."

The accompanying headline in The Indianapolis Star the following day: "Colts fall back on Plan B."

Hearing that all these years later, Wayne smiles. Plan B has lasted 14 seasons.

"Hey, I could've played safety if they wanted me to."
* * *

The trust – it came quickly. Wayne earned his keep by showing up every day, ready to work. Manning respected that, and steadily, No. 87 paired with No. 88 to form the NFL's most lethal pass-catching tandem over the next decade.

Wayne became a full-time starter by his third season and ran off seven straight 1,000-yard seasons beginning in 2004. He became a six-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl champ, a bedrock of reliability, one of the most respected players in the league.

The world championship season of 2006 was darkened for Wayne in Week 3, the afternoon he returned to the locker room after a win over Jacksonville and was met with spine-shattering news: His older brother, Rashad – the same brother who'd regularly send him text messages of encouragement at halftime of games – had been killed in a car accident.

Wayne soldiered on, football serving as his retreat while he mourned the hole in his heart. He was on the field a week later – Iron Man, remember – and caught four passes for 41 yards. He bawled his eyes out on the sidelines after the win.

Four months later the Colts stared at a 21-6 halftime deficit in the AFC Championship game. Wayne said a prayer to Rashad. It was his way of texting, he would say later, his way of seeking his brother's wisdom like he always had in such moments. It calmed him. It inspired him.

Hours later, in the midst of the game-winning drive, Wayne caught a slant over the middle and lost the football. It hung above his head for a split second while every soul in the RCA Dome gasped.

Then Wayne swiped it, saved it, kept the drive beating. The Colts finished. Won 38-34. Two weeks later, Wayne caught the team's first touchdown in a 29-17 Super Bowl triumph over the Chicago Bears.

"There are a lot of guys that are just happy to be in the NFL, and Reggie's not one of them," James says. "It means more to him. We'd drive to and from every home game together, and if he'd drop a pass or something, he wouldn't say a word the whole way home."

Wayne could've found a new home following the disastrous 2011 season. With Manning sidelined, the Colts stumbled to 2-14 and promptly cleaned house. Brackett was cut. Dallas Clark was cut. Joseph Addai and Melvin Bullitt were gone. Manning's exit, too, came soon enough. Wayne was a free agent. He figured his time in Indianapolis had come to a close.

He packed his belongings in the locker room and had them shipped home to Miami.

"Did I want to move on? No," he says now. "But I was ready if I had to."

The calls came in, opposing teams chasing a veteran receiver and proven winner. Wayne locked himself in the office of his Miami home, his sons banging on the door while he waited for updates from his agent. He pondered life after the Colts.

"I was pretty darn close to leaving," he says. "I was prepared for the worst."

In the end, though, he couldn't. The Colts wouldn't allow it. Robert Mathis called him, texted him, begged him to stay.

"Quit bulljiving," Mathis remembers telling him. "Let's go. Let's get it done. Sign the contract."

Wayne's phone rang again. It was Chuck Pagano, an old friend from his Miami days who had just been hired as the Colts' new head coach. It was his job to pilot owner Jim Irsay's ambitious rebuilding effort.

"I can't do this without you, Reg," he told him.

It was all Wayne needed to hear. He took less to stay home, and alongside Mathis, became the backbone behind the Colts' improbable turnaround in 2012.

"His heart was always here in Indy," says former Colts linebacker David Thornton, a member of the original round table and now the team's Director of Player Engagement. "It was clear from the contract he took that he could've made more money on the market. But it wasn't about dollars for him. It was about him being a horseshoe guy his whole career."
* * *

Those orange gloves – they were everywhere that afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. On third-and-9, Wayne for 15 yards. Third-and-12, Wayne for 15 more. First-and-goal, Luck to Wayne one last time. He snatched the football with those orange gloves while three defenders converged. He twisted, stretched and leaned across the goal-line for the four-yard game-winner.

The crowd serenaded him once more: "Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie!"

The tension was thick, the pressure mounting, and Andrew Luck leaned hard on his trusty target, Wayne, on the most important drive of the 2012 season. They'd trailed Green Bay 21-3 at halftime of Week 3 while their head coach, Pagano, stricken with leukemia, sat confined in a hospital room of the IU Health Simon Cancer

center a few blocks away.
Wayne erased the deficit in those orange gloves – signifying leukemia awareness – with 13 catches for 212 yards. The game ball went to Pagano's hospital room. The win began a 10-3 run that delivered the Colts an improbable 11-5 season and playoff berth. Wayne was the catalyst. The Luck Era had begun.

"There's no better teammate around, and nobody's represented the 'shoe quite like Reggie Wayne has," Pagano gushes two years later.

Wayne knows his good fortune. He spent 10 seasons with Manning. He's on his third with Luck. Receivers rarely have it so good.

"I know guys who've been in the league seven years and are on their fifth quarterback," Wayne says. "I've been blessed. And I still love it. I'm still having fun, playing with these young guys in this locker room."

His staggering numbers are testimony to the breadth of his production. Few have done it better, and longer, than No. 87: He's seventh all-time in catches (1,061), eighth in yards (14,207) and 22nd in touchdowns (82). Only four wideouts in NFL history — Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Andre Reed and Hines Ward — have played more games with one team than Wayne has with the Colts.

"Sometimes, you look at a guy and go, 'How has he stayed in the league this long?'" says Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, an 19-year veteran. "Well, follow Reggie around for a day and you absolutely know why. He still works like he's in his first year in the league."

"Stability, longevity, playmaker," Mathis says. "The ultimate professional."

"The face of the Colts," adds James. "He is Indianapolis. He didn't have to leave, he could just stay there and every time you look up, you're going to see that No. 87."

Sunday will be Game No. 209 for No. 87, and it could mark the final regular season home game for him. He came in with Manning and Harrison and James and will exit alongside Luck and his young protégé Hilton, two eras linked by one man.

Whenever it comes, whenever Wayne slips off his uniform for the last time, whenever he bids farewell to Indianapolis and retires to the sun of South Beach, he might as well plan to have these words emblazoned on his tombstone.


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- At age 36, Reggie Wayne could revel in the spoils of his success.

A poster-sized photo of the Colts' receiver hangs outside the front entrance of Lucas Oil Stadium. The hometown fans regularly serenade him with chants of "Reg-gie, Reg-gie." He's a respected leader and mentor in the locker room and a pillar in the community of his adopted hometown.

He also knows this is no time for a victory lap -- not with a playoff spot and two of the Colts' most revered records on the line Sunday.

"I put my hard hat on and go to work," Wayne said. "I just want to be here with my teammates. Being available is something I've always taken pride in."

Few NFL players have stuck around longer or been more consistent over 14 seasons than Wayne.

He goes into this week tied with Peyton Manning for most games played (208) and most wins (141) in franchise history. A victory over Houston (7-6) would break the ties and allow Wayne to celebrate his ninth division title.

Those who know Wayne aren't surprised by his resume -- 1,061 receptions, seventh in league history; 14,207 yards, eighth in NFL history; 82 TD receptions, tied for 22nd in league history; 82 consecutive games with three catches or more, an NFL record; six Pro Bowl appearances; two AFC championships and one Super Bowl ring.

Former Colts general manager Bill Polian is already lobbying for Wayne's Hall of Fame candidacy.

The numbers only provide a small glimpse into the everyday impact Wayne makes, though.

"I think what's really helpful about having a guy like Reggie in the locker room is that he takes such a big burden off the other guys," backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "He's the guy people want to talk to after a bad game, he's the guy the marketing department goes to, he's the guy they ask to do community outreach, he's the guy who can walk down to the coach's office or the GM's office and say, 'Hey, something's out of balance in the locker room,' and that allows the younger guys to just play football."

Sure, Wayne has some fun.

His grand entrances at training camp have become the stuff of legend -- driving a dump truck, showing up in a military convoy, riding on a helicopter with a recovering hospital patient. It's not just show. There's always a deeper message, like this summer when he arrived in an IndyCar -- demonstrating he had his wheels back after tearing the ACL in his right knee.

But Polian never doubted Wayne skills or personality would help him excel.

It was one of the reasons Polian defied conventional wisdom in the 2001 draft, taking Wayne instead of a defensive player.

The initial plan, Polian explained, was to choose a defensive tackle with the 22nd overall pick. When the Colts' turn came, the player they coveted was gone. With no consensus among the coaches and scouts about who to take, Polian dealt the pick to the Giants who chose cornerback Will Allen. Polian then took Wayne at No. 30.

"He was absolutely a terrific route runner, a clutch performer with a great work ethic and great football instincts," Polian said. "Everybody in that room was really convinced we had a good one."

At first, Wayne wasn't so good.

He spent the better part of two seasons working through injuries and developing a rapport with Manning.

In 2003, Wayne blossomed in an offense that featured Manning, Marvin Harrison and two-time NFL rushing champ Edgerrin James. By 2006, Wayne was emerging as the next big thing and wound up dancing in the rain after catching a TD pass in Indy's Super Bowl win.

Not long after that, Wayne supplanted the aging and injured Harrison as Manning's No. 1 target, a title he held until the Colts embarked on a massive rebuilding project after the 2011 season. When Manning was cut, Wayne considered leaving.

Coach Chuck Pagano, an old friend, urged Wayne to stay and the receiver gave Indy a hometown discount on a three-year deal so he could come back and work with rookie Andrew Luck.

"I don't want to think about that," Luck said when asked how different things might have been without Wayne. "He was so instrumental in my growth as a rookie. He's still instrumental in the growth of this team."

He was still his young self in 2012 and was playing well last year until the ACL injury.

This year has not gone according to the script.

After a solid start, Wayne tore his left triceps and injured his left elbow Oct. 19. He missed the next game and has caught only eight passes for 46 yards in the last three, prompting talk about possible retirement when his contract runs out after the season.

Yet Wayne has continued to be the consummate professional by never complaining and always showing up for practices and games and still making plays on bad days, such as the rub route that got T.Y. Hilton open for Luck's winning TD pass at Cleveland.

That's Reggie.

"It's just a testament to his passion and drive for the game, his love for this organization, this city, the community, his teammates, the locker room," Pagano said. "Availability means a lot in football. He's been available for a long, long time, and he's produced for a long, long time."


(newsday.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – With a lot of interest in Reggie Wayne battling injuries, the 14-year vet joined his weekly radio show again on Tuesday.

Wayne was his normal self in giving extremely honest, candid answers.

Here are some of the highlights from Wayne joining Query and Schultz:

On the Cleveland game and finishing with just one catch:
“It was just lack of concentration. I just wasn’t focused the way I should have been when it’s time to catch the pass that’s thrown to me. It happens. Normally, I catch those balls with no problem but it was just one of those days. It was one of those bad games. You see it with athletes all the time. If people want to pick one or two games out of 208 then so be it. The key thing is we got out of there with a W. My teammates had my back after some drops.

“The same pain that you would think I had after that game is the same pain I had in the New York Giants game, the same game where I took a 40-yard touchdown to the house. It was just a lack of concentration. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

On playing through a triceps tear:
“Yes, I do have a partially torn triceps. That’s part of the reason you see me wearing a brace. I’ve been wearing a brace…since the Cincinnati game. I’m playing through it. We all got injuries. I appreciate Coach Pagano sticking up for me, or what not, but at the end of the day, I’m grown. This is the NFL. I just dropped the passes. That’s all it was.”

On if there was ever talk following the Cincinnati game to go on injured reserve:
“No. Like I said, nothing. N-O. I’m good. If I’m out there playing, I’m alright. I’m not going to be out there putting myself at risk to hinder me in the future. If I’m out there, I feel like I can get the job done with no problems.”

On how you go about treating such an injury:
“You just want to strengthen it. Keep it strong. Ice, stem, things like that. Stuff that you normally do as an athlete. The main thing is you just want to keep it strong.

“The more you rest, from what I found, the weaker it gets. Honestly, right now I have zero pain. As the game goes on and on, you get tackled, you’re hitting the ground, you get taken down, you start to feel it a little bit. But I also feel that in the other triceps. It comes with football.”

On if he’s thought about his future after this season in regards to his body:
“It’s too early to ask that. The way you judge that is once the season is over. Then you sit down and you put everything together and you say, ‘Alright, this is how I feel. This is what I think.’ Then you sit down with your family and say, ‘This is what I’m thinking. What are you thinking?'

“Right now, I still feel I got a couple of years, to be honest with you. I feel pretty good. Injuries come. Injuries happen. I’ve dealt with injuries throughout my career and just continued to get treatment and rehab and played through those injuries. That’s just what it is. That’s the situation we have now.”


(colts.com)

After Sunday’s victory over the Browns, Colts coach Chuck Pagano let slip that one of the injuries that’s been bothering wide receiver Reggie Wayne this season is a torn triceps muscle.

The admission came after Wayne dropped three passes and finished the day with just one catch for five yards in a performance that the veteran said made him feel like he was doing everything he “possibly can to throw this game.” Wayne has eight catches for 46 yards in the last three weeks, a total that’s well below what anyone has come to expect from him throughout his career, leading to questions for Pagano on Monday about whether playing Wayne was the right thing for the player or the team.

Pagano wouldn’t say whether Wayne would remain in the lineup, but did say he believes Wayne has more to offer the team. He didn’t argue with the notion that Wayne is struggling to play through his injury a year after a torn ACL, however.

“Is [his play] a byproduct of that? Would I say no? No, I wouldn’t,” Pagano said, via the Indianapolis Star. “There’s something there because we know the player that Reggie is, we know how he’s contributed and we know how he can make the clutch catch. He had a tough day.”

Wayne is one game away from passing Peyton Manning for the top spot on the franchise list of games played, which is a testament to how long he’s been a fixture in Indianapolis. That doesn’t mean that he’s the right player for the team right now if he’s less than 100 percent, though, and it’s also a sign that the end of the line might not be far off with Wayne’s body aching and his contract expiring at the end of this season.


(profootballtalk.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Colts will get back to work on Wednesday as they prepare for a huge game this week against the Texans.

A win on Sunday and Chuck Pagano will have his team back in the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Recently Pagano has had to deal with a lot of criticism surrounding his star wide receiver Reggie Wayne’s play on the field. There’s no doubt the veteran has struggled lately and Pagano revealed just on Monday that Wayne has a torn triceps.

Regardless of the latest injury 24-Hour News 8 asked Pagano does he take the criticism about Wayne personal.

“Yea, and I think everyone else in this organization, starting from the top down, feels that way. All of his teammates feel that way. The entire coaching staff takes it that way. We’re talking about a special special player, a special guy. A guy who’s given everything that he’s got for 14 years to this city, to this community, this organization. He lays it on the line every time he straps that helmet on. It won’t be long before the naysayers, the boo birds, whatever you want to call them, they’ll be back jumping on the bandwagon.” said Pagano.

CLEVELAND -- Indianapolis Colts veteran receiver Reggie Wayne had one of the worst games of his career against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, catching only one pass for five yards and dropping three balls.

It turns out, according to coach Chuck Pagano, Wayne is dealing with an assortment of injuries.

Pagano said on the Colts' radio postgame show that Wayne is "fighting and playing through stuff; knee elbow and torn tri [tricep]."

All three of Wayne's drops were ones he has routinely made throughout his 14-year career. His biggest drop was in the fourth quarter when the Colts were in Cleveland territory.

"I basically told myself, 'You're doing everything you possibly can to throw this game,'" Wayne said. "Thankfully my teammates were able to have my back. ...You have to have amnesia. That's the way it goes. They happen like that sometimes. You have to put it behind you and keep going. Be thankful you have next week."

Wayne missed a game earlier this season with an elbow injury, suffered against Cincinnati on Oct. 19.


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts' Reggie Wayne will break Peyton Manning’s record for most games played (209) in franchise history once he plays a snap against the Houston Texans next Sunday.

But then the Colts will have a decision to make with Wayne.

Continue to play the 14-year veteran or rest him the final two games to get ready for the playoffs?

The latter is the better option at this point because as good as he’s been during his career, Wayne isn’t helping the Colts.

Not only did Wayne face an uphill battle after suffering a torn ACL last season, but he's also added some injuries this season. Coach Chuck Pagano revealed for the first time Sunday that Wayne is dealing with a torn left tricep, which goes back to when he got injured against Cincinnati on Oct. 19. He missed the Oct. 26 game at Pittsburgh.

The catches Wayne has routinely made during his career are now drops. He only had one catch for 5 yards and three drops against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. His streak of consecutive games with at least three catches ended at 82.

“The elbow, a lot of nagging stuff,” Pagano said. “It’s difficult for anybody to deal with, so is it a byproduct of that? Would I say no to that? No, I wouldn’t. We know how he can contribute and we know how he can make the clutch catches and all those things. He had a tough day and there are a lot of guys that had a tough day [Sunday].”

A sight that has rarely happened during Wayne’s career came in the fourth quarter when the Colts were trying to cut into the Browns’ lead. After dropping a pass across the middle that would have given the Colts a first down deep in Cleveland territory, Wayne was taken out of the game on third down.

You would have never thought that Wayne, Luck’s security blanket, would be taken out of a game where the Colts were trying to come back. But that's where things unfortunately stand with Wayne.

“I basically told myself, ‘You’re doing everything you possibly can to throw this game,’” Wayne said Sunday. “Thankfully my teammates were able to have my back.”

Wayne has eight catches for 46 yards in the past three games.

Pagano avoided answering the question, which is somewhat understandable considering their relationship, when asked if he thinks they should rest Wayne.

“We talk all the time, we communicate with the trainers all the time,” Pagano said. “The lines of communication are always open in regards to all the players, not just Reggie. We’re going to do the best thing for the team that’s going to give us a chance to win, and what’s best for player.”

Pagano was later asked how much he thinks Wayne, a free agent in the offseason, has left in his 36-year-old body.

“How much? I don’t know,” Pagano said. “I know he has more. He’ll deliver and he’ll be back.”


(espn.com)

Chuck Pagano was visibly uncomfortable addressing the delicate subject. He was, at times, tense and terse.

But talking about veteran receiver Reggie Wayne's disappointing performances has become unavoidable for the Indianapolis Colts coach.

The topic was front and center again Monday, one day after the Colts pulled off an emotional 25-24, come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Pagano confirmed a key point he let slip during a postgame radio interview, acknowledging that Wayne indeed has a torn left triceps muscle.

But now what? Can the Colts continue to pretend Wayne can still be effective in spite of an injury that played a major role in his three drops Sunday? Doesn't a performance like Sunday do more harm than good as it relates to helping the Colts win?

Pagano, whose relationship with Wayne dates to the University of Miami in the late 1990s, wasn't prepared to go there.

"We're just going to put the guys out there we think can win football games, period," Pagano said when peppered with questions about whether it was wise to continue playing Wayne.

Wayne finished Sunday's game with one catch for five yards, relatively invisible for a guy who has 14,207 receiving yards in his 14 seasons. The drops were painful to watch, with the typically sure-handed Wayne coughing up balls that hit him squarely in both hands.

On Monday, Pagano was asked directly: Is Wayne hurting your team? Pagano answered the question with one of his own.

"Did you guys talk to Reggie?" he said. "I think he answered your question (Sunday), did he not? I thought he did it pretty eloquently, to be honest. A lot of guys had tough days. A lot of guys. We all have stuff. I've gotta get better, coach better. Across the board. If we want to get done what we want to get done, we all have to do better. Not one guy. Can't ever single out one guy."

Pagano was referencing Wayne's postgame interview when he said, among other things, "I basically told myself, 'You're doing everything you possibly can to throw this game."

Pagano briefly stopped tap-dancing around the issue, conceding the injury is impacting Wayne's performance.

"Is (his play) a byproduct of that," Pagano said. "Would I say no? No, I wouldn't. There's something there because we know the player that Reggie is, we know how he's contributed and we know how he can make the clutch catch. He had a tough day."

The 36-year old Wayne, according to Pagano, suffered the injury on Oct. 19 against the Bengals when he sustained what the Colts originally described as an elbow injury. He missed a single game, at Pittsburgh, then returned for a Monday night matchup against the Giants, catching four passes for 70 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown.

Pagano was noncommittal on whether he'd continue to play Wayne, but he does have one potential option. Wayne is scheduled to play in his 209th game when the Colts meet the Houston Texans on Sunday. It would put him ahead of Peyton Manning for the most games played of any Colt in franchise history. The Colts would then have two regular-season games remaining. Perhaps Pagano would consider sitting Wayne at that point, though he wouldn't entertain that possibility on Monday.

"We communicate with the trainers all the time," Pagano said. "The lines of communication are always open in regard to all the players, not just Reggie. We're going to do the best thing for the team that gives us the best chance to win and, obviously, what's best for the player."

The conversation eventually turned to whether Wayne has much left in his tank. He's on the down side of his career, clearly. This is a fact that no one, most of all Wayne, will argue. He's in the final year of his contract and hasn't committed to anything beyond this season nor addressed his future intentions.

When addressing how much Wayne has left, the issue is complicated by the injury. He was contributing prior to getting hurt – he had nine catches for 98 yards against the Denver Broncos and seven catches for 119 yards against the Tennessee Titans. Maybe he's not done yet. Maybe he can't be fairly evaluated when hurt.

So, Chuck Pagano, how much does Wayne have left?

"How much? I'm not Nostradamus. I don't know," he said. "I know he's got more. How much, I don't know. But I know he's got more. And he'll deliver. And he'll be back."

For now, though, Wayne's injury is making that quite difficult.


(indystar.com)

Reggie Wayne is going to be one of the trickiest Hall of Fame debates among this generation of wide receivers. That clock to Canton conversation could start as soon as this offseason. 

"Thirty-six, man. Kids growing up," Wayne explained to Mike Chappell of RTV6 in Indianapolis. "It's time for family decisions."

Wayne talked about wanting to spend more time with his three children, including his oldest, his 11-year old son who is playing football. He repeated the phrase "family decisions" a few times.

"It's real, man," he said of possibly retiring. "It's tough, it really is. You have to decide if you want to make that sacrifice again. A lot goes into it."

This is the first we've heard about Wayne possibly retiring, but it makes a lot of sense. He will be 37 years old next year, and does not have a contract for the 2015 season. Wayne is still productive, but he's no longer the same player. He hasn't had many big plays this season, and he's on pace for 848 receiving yards.

Wayne has returned from a torn ACL much better than a lot of other receivers in their mid-thirties, but he may not enjoy playing the game at a diminished level. It's also worth wondering if he'd be willing to take a reduction in pay from his average just under $6 million-per-season the last three years. (Or what kind of contract the Colts would give him.)

Wayne insists he is a Colt for life.

"I know what I'm not going to do is go somewhere else and play for one year, two years. Absolutely not. Nobody else. I don't have time to be dipping and dabbing, one year here, maybe one year somewhere else."

Add it all up, and it wouldn't be a surprise if this were Wayne's final run with the team.


(nfl.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne extended his streak of games with at least three catches to 81 last week against Jacksonville.

How he did it, though, two catches that totaled two yards in the final three minutes of a game that had already been determined is what raised a lot of eyebrows.
Wayne and the Colts were criticized on their approach for the receiver to extend the streak.

"You ever heard of toilet material? That’s the category I put that in," Wayne said about the criticism. "People will have their own theories, their own opinions. All I can do is go out and do my job, run the plays that are called and keep it moving. Since I’ve been playing at the age of 7, everything hasn’t been peaches and cream. It’s my job to go out there and prove you wrong and keep going."

Wayne and quarterback Andrew Luck weren’t on the same page most of the game. That was obvious when Luck overthrew his security blanket on a pass attempt that would have resulted in a big gain for the Colts.

"It was totally me," Wayne said. "He did his job. Put the ball in the right area. I have to find a way to make that catch. I take pride in catching every pass that’s thrown to me whenever it touches my hand, whether it’s high, low, far (or) short. I was open, and if I would have caught it would have been a big play. That’s my fault."

Wayne had his worst game of the season against the Jaguars, finishing with three catches for 10 yards.

"I couldn’t tell you one game I had a good game in," Wayne said. "There’s always something you can take out and get better at. Things happen. It’s the NFL. Not every game is going to be your best, just be thankful that you have another game to rebound from. That’s just the way it goes."


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne won’t address the media until Friday, but he talked about his quick departure from the locker room following Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on his weekly radio show on 1260-AM WNDE in Indianapolis.

And it wasn’t because he was upset over only having three catches for 10 yards.

“If I don’t speak to the media, there’s a reason why,” Wayne said on his show. “I had to leave for a personal matter. I’m hearing about how I’m [Seattle running back] Marshawn Lynch now. I love the media, but I had to jet. I had to go home.”

There were quite a few questions raised about how Wayne got his two final catches to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least three catches in a game to 81.

With less than three minutes remaining and the game already determined, coach Chuck Pagano called consecutive short pass plays that totaled two yards gained for Wayne to get his second and third catches.

"I guarantee you nowhere in there did I say I wanted two more catches to extend the streak,” Wayne said on his radio show. “I'm never going to beg for catches, especially when we're winning."

Pagano said Monday that it was strictly his decision to call those plays for Wayne.

“I don’t think there would be one person that would argue my decision on what I decided to do,” the coach said Monday. “I called the play, I made the decision and those guys go run the plays, and Reggie would never come up to me, nobody on our team would come up to me. They just want to win football games. And do I have any second thoughts about what I did? Not one bit.”


(espn.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne has slammed his side's performance in their defeat to the New England Patriots.

Chuck Pagano's men were hammered 42-20 at Lucas Oil Stadium as they missed the chance to stake their claim for the number one seed in the AFC with their loss to Bill Belichick's side.

Wayne told reporters: "It stinks; it's terrible. Our main objective has always been to protect our home turf. We knew it was going be a tough fight, but we let this one slip, we let this one squander.

"It was a terrible display as a team. But right now we still control our own destiny in the AFC South. Who knows, we may see this team again, it might be a little bit chilly."

The Colts are 6-4 in their season, but have a one-game lead over the Houston Texans in the race for the AFC South title.


(sportsmole.co.uk)

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne paced his position group Sunday with five catches on nine targets for 91 yards in his team's 42-20 loss to the Patriots in Week 11.

Tight end Coby Fleener led the passing attack with 144 yards Sunday but Wayne was the clear second option, with the rest of the Colts offensive players combining for just 68 yards. Wayne racked up his most yards since delivering a 119-yard performance in Week 4. However, the two touchdowns thrown by Andrew Luck went to offensive tackle Anthony Costanzo and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. Costanzo's touchdown was his only catch of the day, while Nicks managed two catches for 15 yards.

T.Y. Hilton, the team's leading receiver, only managed to catch three of his seven targets for just 24 yards. His yardage was a new season low, and it was his second consecutive game catching just three passes. He now has 59 receptions for 961 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.

The Colts have lost two of their last three games heading into a Week 12 matchup with the Jaguars.


(cbssports.com)

FOXBORO, Mass. — Vince Wilfork and Reggie Wayne are among the last of a dying breed: Reminders of the Miami Hurricanes’ glory days.

The two University of Miami products will be enemies Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but the New England Patriots defensive tackle and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver hold a close bond off the field.

“That’s family,” Wilfork said. “No matter what anybody says — I don’t care what anybody says: coaches, media, whatever it may be, we’re family, and that’s Miami Hurricanes, we always carry a chip on our shoulder no matter what.” Without that chip on both players’ shoulders, it’s possible that this matchup of former Hurricanes wouldn’t have taken place this season.

Both Wilfork and Wayne suffered career-threatening injuries in their 10th and 13th seasons, respectively, in 2013. Wilfork tore his Achilles while Wayne suffered a torn ACL. Both are back, playing at a high level despite their age and recovery.

“It’s good to see him still playing at the rate that he’s playing at,” Wilfork said. “It shows you a lot about what it means — what football means to him. He’s very competitive, I know him personally, so I know we’re gonna get his best. I know he’s gonna be ready to play. It’s always a good feeling, not only just because of the personal relationship that I have with him, but anybody coming off injury that’s coming back, and the guy can play the game still, show that they can play the game. It’s always awesome to see.”

Wilfork and Wayne were never teammates in Miami, but with former Hurricanes from the school’s last Big East dynasty, like Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, Ray Lewis, Kellen Winslow and Jonathan Vilma either retired or still trying to hang on as free agents, it becomes obvious that the days are numbered for Wilfork, Wayne and other active teammates from the school’s last championship run, like Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Santana Moss.

The list of Miami Hurricanes in the Pro Bowl has dwindled every year since 2009, when they had 11 representatives, to 2013 with just four.

Wilfork and Wayne briefly must forget their bond on Sunday night, however. “He knows between the lines, it’s time, we both have the same mindset,” Wilfork said. “We both want to win, so I’m gonna do everything I can to help my team win, and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna do the same thing. So, between the lines, we’re enemies, but off the field, it’s family. All love.”


(nesn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – One day, long after the cleats of No. 87 are stored away, Reggie Wayne could take pen to paper and write a New York Times best seller on the Colts/Patriots rivalry.

Another chapter will be written this weekend with Wayne once again playing a lead role in a rivalry that has shaped nearly every AFC race for the last dozen years.

Past history with Wayne and the Patriots indicates Sunday means a little more to the 14-year veteran, not to mention the current ramifications of this week’s contest.

“A lot of the guys on the team don’t really know the history with these two franchises as far as when we always play each other,” Wayne said on his weekly radio show on WNDE.

“What makes this game so important is this game could easily have playoff implications at the end of the year as far as home field, things like that. It’s a big game because it’s the next game, but for me there’s always a little added something to it.”

During the Colts bye week, Wayne “relaxed, recharged and rejuvenated” his 35-year old body knowing what was coming this week (he turns 36 on Monday).

In his early film study of the Patriots, Wayne sees similar Belichick tendencies with some particular impressive players now at the back end of the defense.

“I think this is the best secondary they’ve had in a long time,” Wayne says. “So they are able to do different things with their linebackers and defensive line up front than they normally do.

“(Belichick’s) going to have something different. He’s not going to be the typical coach Belichick you watch on film throughout the year in this game plan and it’s up to us to be able to find out what it is, figure it out and figure it out fast.”

Belichick and Wayne are two of the few mainstays throughout the bulk of this historic matchup.

Reports had the Patriots trying to pursue Wayne during the 2012 free agency process.

On a Wednesday conference call with Indianapolis media, Belichick called Wayne “one of the best route runners maybe ever in the game.”

The Patriots head coach, who always speaks highly of Wayne, detailed earlier this week what exactly he likes about the Colts wide receiver’s game.

“He’s still really good at everything,” Belichick said of Wayne. “[He’s] obviously a real smart and experienced guy; knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same, does a great job of releasing and then at the top of his routes being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw.

“He’s been a key guy for them in critical situations and third down-type situations. I’m sure that there’s a lot of confidence that he’s going to be open and he usually is. Excellent hands; made a lot of tough catches. They move him around. He plays a decent amount in the slot, but also out on the perimeter where we saw him for so many years in their former offensive system. But he’s probably a little more in the slot now with [Hakeem] Nicks and [T.Y.] Hilton outside. But they move all those guys around so finding him is a problem. He’s still a very dangerous receiver, clutch player and a guy who really, when they need a play, they’re not afraid to go to him and he’ll deliver for them.”

Belichick has seen first hand Wayne thriving in those clutch situations.

Back in 2009, Wayne’s one-yard touchdown catch with 13 seconds remaining gave the Colts a 35-34 victory over New England.

Following that 17-point comeback in the Colts last win over the Patriots, Peyton Manning said it was Wayne who called that slant route instead of a fade.

Wayne had 10 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns on that Sunday Night which also happens to be the last time the Colts have played host to the Patriots.

As Wayne looks back on his previous 15 Colts/Patriots matchups, he wants this rivalry to swing back to Indy’s side with the stretch run of the 2014 season beginning at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“We need to get that win-loss situation taken care of,” Wayne says of his 5-10 mark against the Patriots.

“We need to start winning some of these games against them. Let’s make sure we get that done this week.”


(colts.com)

FOXBORO – In 14 NFL seasons, Reggie Wayne has played against the Patriots 11 times in the regular season and three times in the playoffs. He’s matched up against all three defenses that won Super Bowls.

Wayne has run routes around players like Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, Rodney Harrison and most recently Aqib Talib – some of the best players the Patriots secondary has seen.  But in the wide receiver’s opinion, the best Patriots secondary belongs to this year’s squad.

“This secondary here, in my 14 years playing New England, is probably the best complete secondary,” Wayne said on Wednesday. “I think it allows them to do more things up front with their front seven games, that they probably haven’t done in the past years. They’re talented. They’re ball-hungry. It gives them a little bit of where they can be risk-takers with blitzes and things of that nature.”

The additions of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner have certainly changed the complexity of the Patriots defense. The secondary will need to be on point come Sunday against a dangerous Indianapolis Colts offense.

The defensive backs have done more than just open things up for the defensive line. According to Julian Edelman, the group is making the Patriots wide receivers better as well.

“They always try to beat us up at practice. We should have officials out there I feel,” Edelman said with a smirk on his face. “Our corners, all our guys, from Malcolm [Butler] to [Revis], Browner, [Kyle] Arrington, you’ve got Dax [Swanson]. Everyone on the squad is working their tail off. Go steel vs. steel and that’s how you sharpen tools.”


(provincejournal.com)

Q: Reggie Wayne has been a bit banged up, but what continues to make him an effective player at this point in his career?
BB: Yeah, he’s still really good at everything. [He’s] obviously a real smart and experienced guy; knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same, does a great job of releasing and then at the top of his routes being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw. He’s been a key guy for them in critical situations and third down-type situations. I’m sure that there’s a lot of confidence that he’s going to be open and he usually is. Excellent hands; made a lot of tough catches. They move him around. He plays a decent amount in the slot, but also out on the perimeter where we saw him for so many years in their former offensive system. But he’s probably a little more in the slot now with [Hakeem] Nicks and [T.Y.] Hilton outside. But they move all those guys around so finding him is a problem. He’s still a very dangerous receiver, clutch player and a guy who really, when they need a play, they’re not afraid to go to him and he’ll deliver for them.

Just 511 receiving yards, that’s the amount separating Colts’ 14-year veteran Reggie Wayne from becoming the all-time leading receiver in Indianapolis (also Baltimore) Colts’ Franchise History. Currently, Wayne stands #2 on the Colts’ all-time career receiving yards list at 14,070 career receiving yards. Of course, #1 is being held by Colts’ future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, who is on top with 14,580 career receiving yards, playing all 13 of his seasons in horseshoe blue.

To topple Harrison on the Colts’ all-time receiving mountain, Wayne will need to average 73 receiving yards per game in the next 7 games left of this season. A task that is hardly insurmountable given QB Andrew Luck and the Colts’ prolific passing offense.

For Wayne, it’s been about consistency and longevity. While some of his wide receiver contemporaries like Randy Moss and Chad Johnson may have had more dominant individual seasons, as well as off-the-field flare-ups, it’s Wayne that’s just been consistently consistent throughout his 14 seasons with the Colts. There’s something to be said for that. As it stands, he’s one of last few wide receivers of his era still playing, other than the Baltimore Ravens’ Steve Smith.

Wayne has always taken a workmanlike approach to the game of football, even showing up to Colts’ training camp in the past with a construction hardhat. He may not have made the off-the-field noise as some of his past wide receiver contemporaries, rather he saved it all for the field. Where it really matters, to the tune of 1,048 receptions for 14,070 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. He currently sits 8th on the NFL’s all-time career receiving yards list.

For the first 8 seasons of his NFL career, he was often overshadowed on his own team by the aforementioned Marvin Harrison. Unlike Harrison though, Wayne has taken an active leadership approach with the Indianapolis Colts, particularly with T.Y. Hilton and the offense’s younger players:

“He’s always there, no matter what,” Hilton says of Wayne. “Andrew (Luck) trusts him, and we all trust him. He’s been here the longest and he knows the ropes. He knows pretty much every defense. He’s a great guy.”

“For me to be here now, playing with Reggie … the things I can learn from him and grow … I call him my big brother. He’s always there for me, always looking after me. Whenever I get a chance, I make sure to ask him any question that I have. With Andrew, me and Reggie, we have that same aspect that we can be good like they were. So that’s what we look forward to.”

It’s a stark contrast to the comments made by Reggie Wayne in a sit-down with Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks in February of 2010, regarding his lack of a personal relationship with the elder Marvin Harrison:

“Our lockers were next to each other and we very seldom talked then. It’s not like we were text message buddies in eight years. So I kind of figured it’d be that way. You’ve just got to understand his character. I think that’s just him,” said Wayne, who once played in No. 88’s shadow. “He’s to himself. He has a lonely soul. He’s anti-social. That’s what makes him. If you saw him talking to the media all of a sudden, that’s an imposter. That’s not him. He’ll keep the same makeup that he’s had since day one, and I guess that’s what works for him.”

In fact, one could make a strong argument of whether Reggie Wayne has been more instrumental in Indianapolis Colts’ history than his former legendary receiving counterpart, #88. However, that’s really neither for here nor there.

Quite frankly, it’s easy to forget that the Indianapolis Colts almost lost Reggie Wayne to the New England Patriots in March of 2012, as the team was initially more interested in re-signing the younger Pierre Garcon as a free agent, who left for greener pastures more money to the Washington Redskins.

From a leadership and production standpoint, it would have been a critical blow to QB Andrew Luck and the Colts’ budding young offense these past few seasons.

While he may have lost a step coming back from ACL surgery this season, he’s still the offense’s security blanket, the reliable set of hands that Luck can target on crucial 3rd downs and key moments of the game. He’s both one of the Indianapolis Colts and NFL’s all-time receiving greats.

For Wayne, simply put, what’s a few more yards in a renowned career that is already littered with them?


(naptownfinest.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne was moved to tears during Monday night’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at MetLife Stadium. The national anthem was performed by trumpet player Chris Botti, and he did a fantastic job.

After the game, Wayne spoke about his emotions getting the best of him.

“An old wise guy told me you shouldn’t hold back your tears,” he said, via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. “If you’ve got tears coming, let them out. He also told me, ‘Let your farts go free and be like me,’ and he passed, so…”

At age 35 and in his 14th season, Wayne has no time for holding back tears. He may not have been streaming crocodile tears like this NFL running back, but that sure was raw emotion.


(msn.com)

Reggie Wayne was emotional during that beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. #MNF pic.twitter.com/IFRAQey1vS

— ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) November 4, 2014

With his 11-yard catch in the first quarter Monday, Colts wideout Reggie Wayne passed James Lofton for eighth place on the league's all-time receiving yards list. Wayne has 14,070 receiving yards in his 14-year career.

Wayne made his 82nd career touchdown catch in the third quarter, turning upfield for a 40-yard score. Wayne caught four of 10 targets for 70 yards after missing Week 8 with an elbow injury.

He's on a bye Week 10.


(cbssports.com)

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck threw four touchdown passes in Monday night’s win over the Giants, and the longest of those was a 40-yarder to Reggie Wayne. After the game, Luck said that was the one that he really enjoyed.

“To see Reggie run down the sidelines, the old man’s still got some legs left in him,” the 25-year-old Luck said of the 35-year-old Wayne.

Although Luck’s numbers (25-for-46, 354 yards, no turnovers) look great, Luck said he actually didn’t think he played very well.

“There were some plays I messed up, missed some throws, but a great job by our wideouts and tight ends making some catches,” he said.


(profootballtalk.com)

Reggie Wayne caught four passes for 70 yards and one touchdown in the Colts' Week 9 win over the Giants.

Wayne drew 10 targets in his return from his elbow injury. Sporting a bulky brace, Wayne looked refreshed after the week off to rest his elbow and tired legs. He now gets to go on the bye before taking on the Patriots in Week 11. On Wayne's 40-yard touchdown, he walked right up the left sideline untouched into the end zone. He's a solid weekly WR3/4.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – It was a chilly, but clear morning in Indianapolis as the Colts headed outside for the last practice of the week.

The Colts continued to get more good news on the injury front regarding Reggie Wayne and Vontae Davis.

Here’s a rundown of what Chuck Pagano and Dwayne Allen had to say to the media on Saturday:

Chuck Pagano on what he saw from Reggie Wayne at practice

“Looked good, he looked good. Ran great routes, caught the ball extremely well, blocking. He looks good.”

Bowen’s Analysis: Chuck Pagano said that Wayne is a go for Monday night. Wayne returned to practice on Friday and Saturday and was a full participant each day.

The elbow clearly hindered Wayne as the Bengals game moved along back on October 19 so these two days of practice were key to see how that has improved. The blocking aspect of things is another area to watch for Wayne trying to extend his arm/elbow to engage blockers.

Reggie Wayne on trying to move into the bye week at 6-3:

“This Monday night couldn’t get here fast enough.

“I think I can speak for the team on that. After the game last week, we would have played when the plane landed.”

Bowen’s Analysis: For the third time in the Chuck Pagano era, the Colts will be on the spotlight of Monday Night Football. They will face a Giants team that is in dire need of a victory to maintain striking distance within the NFC East.

The Giants are a difficult bunch to read. With nearly half of NFL games being decided by one possession or less, the Giants are a true outlier. None of their seven games (3-4) have been within 10 points. The Giants begin a stretch of three straight Indianapolis opponents who will be coming off of bye weeks before taking on the Colts.

Dwayne Allen on what he saw from Reggie Wayne at practice:

“It’s great to have him back.

“He’s one of our leaders, one of our offensive leaders. He’s always able to lend some veteran insight on things.”

Bowen’s Analysis: Chuck Pagano said on Saturday that besides the obvious on-the-field implications of having Wayne back, the 14-year vet brings something that players continually feed off of.


(colts.com)

Speaking after Thursday's practice, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Reggie Wayne (elbow) could have suited up, but was given a day of rest.

It sounds like the Colts tentatively expect Wayne back for Monday's game against the Giants, but what he's able to do on Friday will be key. Wayne will slot in as a mid-range WR3 if he can return after missing Week 8. His status will be updated some time in the next 24 hours.


(rotoworld.com)

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Monday wide receiver Reggie Wayne is ahead of schedule and the hope is he will return to the practice field this week. Wayne missed Sunday's loss against the Steelers due to an elbow injury. The Colts are set to play the Giants in Week 9.




(cbssports.com)

When the Colts held wide receiver Reggie Wayne out of practice on Wednesday, it was difficult to know how much of a role his injured elbow played in their decision.

Wayne typically gets a veteran’s rest day on Wednesday and both he and coach Chuck Pagano downplayed the significance of the injury after he sat out the session. Still, the team was concerned enough to send Wayne for an MRI early on the week and even a relatively insignificant injury can be enough to keep a player out for one week.

The possibility of that outcome seems a bit likelier now that Wayne has missed practice on Thursday as well. Tom James of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star reports that Wayne watched his teammates go through practice from the field and that he didn’t have a wrap or anything other than a compression sleeve on the injured elbow.

If Wayne doesn’t play, it could mean an expanded role for Hakeem Nicks. Nicks signed as a free agent in the offseason after a disappointing year with the Giants in 2013 and has 17 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.


(profootballtalk.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – The MRI done on Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne’s left elbow didn’t show significant damage, coach Chuck Pagano said Wednesday.

Wayne didn’t practice Wednesday because that’s his normal rest day and the Colts are calling him day-to-day when it comes to his availability for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pagano said they’ll be fine if Wayne, who missed the final nine games of the 2013 season with a torn ACL, is forced to miss any time.

“I feel great,” Pagano said. “You have a guy like [Hakeem] Nicks who has been on a Super Bowl championship team. Caught a lot of passes in his career. We all know what Donte [Moncrief] is capable of doing. I feel really good.”

Nicks, who has gotten off to a slow start in his first season with the Colts, would slide into the No. 2 receiver role if Wayne doesn’t play.

“He comes here every day with his hat on, lunch pail, ready to work,” Pagano said about Nicks. “He’s a competitive guy. We have a ton of competitive guys in that locker room. They all want to contribute and they all want to make plays. He understands that. He’ll be ready no matter when his number is called. He knows his stuff; he practices hard, prepares hard.”


(espn.com)

Apparently, the “adult beverage” wasn’t enough to take the edge off Reggie Wayne’s elbow.

According to Mike Chappell of RTV6 in Indianapolis, the Colts wide receiver is expected to miss a game or two because of an elbow injury suffered early in Sunday’s win over the Bengals.

He fell after a play, bracing himself with his left arm as he fell. He had an MRI yesterday, but no results were announced.

Wayne suggested he wasn’t that concerned after the game.

“I’m good now,” he said. “I just kind of fell on it, fell on my arm. Go home, have an adult beverage and see how it feels in the morning.”

The veteran receiver’s numbers have been down in recent weeks (eight catches for 50 yards the last two games), but he was playing well prior to that (14 for 196 against the Titans and Ravens), an impressive comeback for a 35-year-old who tore his ACL last year.

But if he’s not back for Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh, Hakeem Nicks will have to take on a bigger role.


(profootballtalk.com)

Colts wideout Reggie Wayne, who had an MRI on his elbow Monday, could miss one or two games, reports WRTV in Indianapolis. Wayne sustained the injury in the first quarter of Sunday's win over the Bengals.

The MRI results have not been released.



(cbssports.com)

Reggie Wayne planned to use an old-fashioned remedy Sunday evening to get a sense of how his injured arm was doing.

"I'm good right now," Wayne said after the Colts' 27-0 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. "Just kind of fell on it. I'll go home, have an adult beverage and see how it feels in the morning."

Coach Chuck Pagano said that Wayne wrenched his left elbow after falling awkwardly on it and Wayne was seen wearing a bandage around it late in the game. But he said afterwards that "it's a little bit of everything. We'll see how I feel tomorrow."

It was a big day historically for Wayne, who became the ninth receiver in NFL history to surpass 14,000 yards. But due in part to his injury and in part to the fact quarterback Andrew Luck has so many other receivers to throw to, it was a quiet day statistically.

Wayne finished with four catches — and two drops — for just 15 yards (3.8 average). He extended his streak of games with three or more receptions to 78, but it didn't happen until midway through the fourth quarter. The 14-year veteran has at least one reception in 126 consecutive games.

He wasn't complaining about it one bit after such a dominating performance against the Bengals. The Colts' defense got the shutout, but the offense was pretty good as well, rolling up 506 total yards and picking up 27 first downs.

"We've got something special," Wayne said. "We felt that way going into the season. Got a lot of guys back healthy and these last five games are an indication of what we can do. Like I said earlier, I'm sure there's a lot of corrections to be made, but if we continue to ride this wave, we can keep this streak going.

"This is what we envisioned. Hopefully, we can keep guys as healthy as possible. ... We're pretty loaded offensively."

Wayne wasn't about to be draw into comparisons. He demurred when asked if this was the most loaded the Colts have been offensively since the mid-2000s — when Wayne was part of a legendary offense that included quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, tight end Dallas Clark and running backs Edgerrin James and later Joseph Addai, among others.

"I'll let you decide that," he said. "I'm here to play with this team right now. Once I hang up my cleats, I'll think about that. But right now, this team is starting to gel pretty well and go out and play Colts football, which we did today."


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – With a short week last week, Reggie Wayne did not appear on his weekly radio show.

The 14-year veteran was back on it this Tuesday though for a more in-depth conversation.

On WNDE, Wayne talked his relationship with T.Y. Hilton, the play of Pat McAfee, the retirement of Pat Angerer and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Here are some of the highlights from Wayne joining Query and Schultz:

On T.Y. Hilton and the relationship he has with Wayne:

“He has that playmaking ability and he was able to show that Thursday night.

“T.Y. comes and he’s always asking questions. He asks, ‘What do you think I should of done there? Should have I gone inside or should have I gone outside?’ That’s the way you learn. That’s the way I was with Marvin Harrison. I would ask him things what I could do to run this particular route better. Whenever you have a guy that’s played a little longer I think you should use that. T.Y., he’s taken advantage of that opportunity. He’s asked me a lot of questions in his three years. He’s a true professional already. He’s a student of the game. He takes a lot of notes. He asks questions in meetings and you don’t see a lot of young guys that do that. He’s a guy that really wants to be good and whenever you see a guy that wants to be good, you want to do everything you can to help. At one point in time, I used to say in his rookie year, ‘You might want to think about doing this or doing that.’ Now I don’t have to do that much. He has that experience under his belt. He knows defenses. He understands his role. If we are talking anything football, it’s probably a question he comes and asks me and it’s probably pretty minor.”

On the first quarter against the Texans and if he remembers a time when the Colts had an opening quarter like that:

“That’s a good question. I’ve got a lot of games under my belt in 14 years (laughs). I don’t think there’s any to be honest with you. We were hitting on all cylinders. We went out and scored fast, had a surprise onside that worked and were able to take that turnover and score real quick. We saw early that things were going to be all right for us and that’s kind of the way it goes. I really believe that football is a game of momentum and it seemed like everything we dialed up was the right choice. We need to figure out a way to just continue to ride that wave, even though we know it’s going to be tough.”

On the play of Pat McAfee and special teams in 2014:

“I believe he’s changing the whole mindset of the way team’s think of that. If you look at what he’s already done this season, and the way he’s punting the ball, he’s punting the ball outstanding. He’s doing things that we aren’t really used to seeing on the special teams side as far as the Indianapolis Colts. He’s definitely become a weapon for us. He can make any kick that you can ask him.

“You’ve got a Hall of Famer in Adam Vinatieri always in his ear and I think Pat has taken his game to a whole ‘nother level. I think he’s realized how good he can be. He’s playing phenomenal.”

On Pat Angerer retiring from the NFL:

“Pat was a feisty guy. He was kind of an undersized guy. It was funny because he always played with a little chip on his shoulder and he brought a lot of energy to that locker room, to that team. I saw he shut it down and retired due to injuries and things like that. That just makes you realize that Pat was a young player and it seemed like he was doing so well, but the injuries kind of took over and forced him to retire.

“I enjoyed Pat. He was a great teammate, a great person. We spent a lot of time together laughing. Unfortunately a lot of that time was in the training room, getting healthy but that’s the way it is. We call the training room, the “barbershop.” Everybody is going to be in the barbershop trying to get back to 100 percent as close as they can and we had a lot of laughs in that training room.”

On the Bengals:

“They are always right in the mix, especially the last few years since they got the quarterback in Andy Dalton. He’s really had them in the fold of the AFC race. At one point in time in my career, you kind of looked at Cincinnati and figured, alright they are going to be one of the bottom echelon teams in the AFC but now you can’t do that anymore. They are a team that’s going to make you come out and play a good game or they will embarrass you.”


(colts.com)

At the end of ESPN's 30 for 30 film 'The U', a group of Miami Hurricanes players sum up their program's successful history and culture in one sentence.

"It's a Canes thing."

On Thursday night at NRG Stadium, 'The U' squad of 2000 will be well represented, as several former players and coaches will converge as the Texans host the Colts.

Undoubtedly, the most recognizable names are a pair of former Hurricane receivers Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne. Johnson and Wayne are two of the most accomplished wide outs in NFL history and are quite used to sharing the same turf on a football field.

In addition to their years battling against each other in the AFC South, the two were teammates on the 2000 Miami squad that went 11-1 and finished second in the nation according to the AP poll. Wayne, a senior on that squad, caught a team-high 10 touchdowns. Johnson, a redshirt freshman, played in 11 games as a wide receiver and kickoff return specialist (imagine that!).

The connections don't stop there. On the Colts sideline watching it all unfold on Thursday will be head coach Chuck Pagano, who was the Hurricans defensive backs coach on that same 2000 squad.

Imagine how fun his job must have been in practice, going against Wayne and Johnson (and Santana Moss) every day. 2000 was Pagano's last year at Miami, as he advanced to the professional ranks en route to being named the Colts head man in 2012. Pagano talked at length about Johnson and Wayne in a press conference earlier this week.

"I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time and recruiting that school and recruiting Andre. Very, very; I mean we all know his talents. He’s a great player, but he’s a better person," Pagano said. "The relationships are for life. I’m fortunate enough to be coaching and playing alongside Reggie Wayne here, but being able to stay close to the guys you were around in college and guys like Andre is very special to me and my family."

Not done yet.

On the same 2000 squad, there was a relatively unknown redshirt freshman center. That center would go on to have a strong collegiate career and be selected in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Nine years later, he has started over 100 straight games for the Houston Texans, and is now viewed as one the NFL's top centers.

Chris Myers.

If all those connections weren't enough, there is one more that Texans fans will know all too well. During the great Miami run of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the voice of the Hurricanes was...Marc Vandermeer.

Vandermeer (@TexansVoice on twitter), who has been the voice of the Texans since the franchise's inception, spent several years in Miami calling Hurricane athletics for their radio network.

So, while there will be Deep Steel Blue and Colts white on the field at NRG Stadium, there will be a lot of Miami green and orange in the heart of many. 

Rock and Roll indeed.


(houstontexans.com)

The Colts gave wideout Reggie Wayne the day off to rest as Indy prepared for Thursday's game at Houston, according to the team's website. Wayne, 35, has 30 catches for 384 yards and a touchdown in five games.




(cbssports.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Look at the top-10 receiving leaders in the NFL and there's a noticeable absence by the Indianapolis Colts despite them leading the league in passing yards and points a game.

Yards?

Nope. Reggie Wayne is 13th.

Receptions?

No, again. Wayne is tied for 14th.

Targets?

You guessed it, nope. Wayne is 16th.

Average yards per reception?

Not even close. They don't even have a player ranked in the top 40.

The only category the Colts have a player ranked in the top 10 is receptions of at least 20 yards, as Wayne is tied for eighth with five.

They're fine with that because quarterback Andrew Luck doesn't rely on one player when it comes to passing the ball.

He prefers to spread it around.

The Colts have nine players who have at least six receptions through the first four games of the season. They're so deep that Da'Rick Rogers, who was released following his arrest earlier this week, was a healthy inactive those four games after starting three games last season.

"Like I tell everybody, this is the deepest we've ever been at receiver," Wayne said. "We've always had three and a possible. We've always had an average spade hand. It's better now. We have four to five guys we can plug in there at any time. We're loaded in there. Everybody always feels like I'm outta of my mind when I say that. No matter who is in there, you can plug guys in there at any position and they can get it done. We have to take advantage of that."

The breakdown of pass distribution through four games goes like this:

Receivers: 65 receptions, 3 touchdowns

Tight ends: 27 receptions, 6 touchdowns

Running backs: 25 receptions, 4 touchdowns

Luck's ability to not key in on one receiver over and over again makes it tough for opposing defenses. Focus on stopping Wayne and Luck will find T.Y. Hilton. Lock in on Wayne and Hilton and the quarterback has tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. The Colts enjoy running play-action where Luck hits running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson out of the backfield. Bradshaw already has a career-high four touchdown receptions this season.

"That's something that we have in our arsenal that a lot of teams don't have," Wayne said. "Like I've been saying, you go into each game asking defenses to pick their poison. You can't just focus on one or two guys. We've got, as they say, a plethora of guys that can go out and make things happen. Knock on wood, keep everybody healthy and we'll take that any time of day."

Luck is 60-of-80 throwing for 763 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception in the past two games. He's completed passes to nine different players in those two games.

"He's doing a great job of taking what the defense is giving him and not getting greedy, so to speak, and spreading the ball around," coach Chuck Pagano said. "They've got to make a decision defensively who they want to identify like we do as game-wreckers and take those guys away, but it's going to open it up obviously for somebody else either in the run game or the pass game."


(espn.com)

On September 28, 2014, Reggie Wayne played in his 200th career regular-season game, the third player to do so in an Indianapolis Colts uniform (after Peyton Manning and Johnny Unitas).

Less than two months from his 36th birthday, the veteran receiver took the field as a starter for the Colts in their game against the Tennessee Titans. 

On the surface, this matchup was simply another early-season divisional battle. Maybe it was just that. Maybe the Colts' 41-17 domination of the Titans was just another blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. 

But for Reggie Wayne and his seven-catch, 119-yard, one-touchdown performance, it was something else entirely. 
It was historic, for one. 

Pagano jokes it took him about a week in the locker room to go over all of Reggie Wayne’s milestones before handing him a game ball.

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowenColts) September 28, 2014

In addition to playing in his 200th game, something just 17 active players have done (including Adam Vinatieri and Manning), Wayne surpassed a few other benchmarks during his big day. 

Wayne passed Henry Ellard to move into the top 10 on the all-time career receiving yards list, with 13,873. At his current pace, he'll gain over 920 more yards this season, passing Cris Carter, James Lofton and former Colt Marvin Harrison for sixth on the list. Carter and Lofton are just 26 and 31 yards ahead, respectively, and could be passed next week in the Colts' matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. 

Wayne also passed former St. Louis Ram Isaac Bruce to move to seventh on the all-time career receptions list, with 1,029. On pace for 69 more receptions, Wayne has a chance to pass Terrell Owens (1,078) this season as well. 

With his touchdown, Wayne tied Art Powell for 22nd on the all-time career receiving touchdowns list. Given the logjam on the list, Wayne needs just five more to move into the top 15. 

Of course, Wayne continued his streak of at least three receptions in the game, extending it to 75. The second-longest streak was Cris Carter's 58-game streak from 1993 to 1997; the longest active streak is Wes Welker's 36-game streak, which began in 2011. 

Where Wayne's place in history will be is yet to be determined, but he'll finish in the top 10 in at least yards and receptions, and touchdowns is definitely a possibility. Is he a top-10 wide receiver? Critics will point to the fact that he played with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck and most likely wouldn't put him among the top 10 most talented receivers to have ever played the game. 

REGGIEWAYNE HALL OF FAME.... has a catchy ring to it!!!!

— ROBERT MATHIS The1st (@RobertMathis98) September 28, 2014

But nobody can take away production. Regardless of who he's played with, the fact is that Wayne has done his job, every day, week and year since being drafted 30th overall in 2001. He produced top-10 numbers despite the fact that he was the No. 2 receiver on his own team for the first six seasons of his career. He oversaw the potentially tumultuous transition from Peyton Manning and Bill Polian to Andrew Luck and Ryan Grigson (with some Curtis Painter in between), smoothing the road for the young, inconsistent team. 

Sunday's game, with all its momentary greatness, was historic in Wayne's ascension on the all-time lists, but it was also a reminder of the smaller picture: 2014. 


(bleacherreport.com)

Reggie Wayne: In case you were wondering if the 35-year-old Colts wideout was all the way back from his ACL reconstruction, he snared seven of Luck's passes for 119 yards and a TD. With 1,029 career grabs, Wayne moved into seventh place all-time, and his 13,873 career receiving yards now rank him in the top-10 in NFL history. (He'll move past Hall of Famers Cris Carter and James Lofton into eighth place with 132 more yards.)


(usatoday.com)

Reggie Wayne caught seven passes for 119 yards and one touchdown in the Colts' Week 4 win over the Titans.

Wayne was targeted eight times on the day and dominated a third-quarter drive that ended in a 28-yard touchdown for Wayne on a back-shoudler throw that beat CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson. The 35-year-old is on pace for 1,228 yards and four touchdowns on 92 catches. With the Colts turning up their offense in recent weeks, it's sustainable. Wayne is a back-end WR3.


(rotoworld.com)

Reggie Wayne added milestones for his career Sunday, footballs for his basket at home.

All in another day's work for the Indianapolis Colts' 14th-year receiving wonder.

Wayne had seven catches for 119 yards – both game-highs – in the 41-17 victory over Tennessee, strengthening his status in the NFL record books.

He's now seventh in career receptions (1,029), 10th in receiving yardage (13,873) and extending his record of consecutive games with at least three catches (75). He's caught one pass in 123 straight.

Of course, by now Wayne has made it clear he's playing more for the enjoyment of the game, especially in light of last year's season-ending knee injury.
But he'll take two balls – one for catching a touchdown, another as an honor from his team – home to the pile of inflated leather he's accumulating.

Toys for the kids, he calls them.

"They're going to go in there at some point and say, 'Let's play catch,'" he said, smiling. "A lot of times I look at (the ball) and be like, 'Damn, this is my 30th touchdown ball.' But if they want to play with it, they can play with it."

Wayne played like a kid Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, dancing around defenders, never more so than in the third-quarter drive that sealed the game. If his 21-yard catch wasn't good enough, his 17-yarder on third down was. Two plays later, he outsmarted cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, pivoting to the left as he extended the ball to the pylon.

No matter that this was his 81st career touchdown; it was his first since the injury.

"A long time coming," he said.

Wayne remains one of the most confident players in this league, but he also realizes the realities of life. He doesn't have the speed he possessed as a first-round draft pick out of Miami in 2001. His body still has days when it requires an ice bath and a massage. But the challenge of overcoming the obstacles is part of the game's pleasure.

"There's quite a few things that are undefeated in this world; we know Mother Nature is one of them," Wayne said as his 36th birthday looms Nov. 17. "You're not going to win that battle.

"I do understand where I'm at right now, (and) I do understand I'm getting up there in age. That just goes to show you I'm going to have to watch more film, have to know my opponent a little better just to find ways to get open."

Having hands of gold helps. It's likely Wayne leads the NFL in that category, too, and listening to him frame a defensive back is worth all the money he's paid.
"He's not looking back at the ball, he's playing (my) hands," Wayne said of how defenders are taught. "I want to wait as long as I possibly can to stick my hands out there."

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck didn't know what else to say about No. 87.

"Open up one of y'all's tape recorders (and) replay the same things I say about him every week," he said. "He's a pro. He makes plays. He shows up in third down. He shows up in the red zone. Obviously, his hands are incredible. He's a phenomenal football player."

Luck finished by calling Wayne "a technician."

"For that reason I think he's an incredible role model for any young kid, any rookie," he said. "How do you work on your cuts? How do you work on body control? He sees coverage extremely well. He knows what (is) zone (defense), man (defense), where the blitz is coming from. He understands football."

"I won't say I haven't skipped a beat," Wayne said of his recovery. "I wish I was a lot faster; I wish I was a lot (of) everything. But this is what I have, and I'm going to play the hand I'm dealt.

"I have a pretty solid poker face, and I'm going to play; I'm not going to fold. I'm going to give everything I've got, and I think everybody in this locker room has some trust in me as far as going out there and delivering."

That why Pagano handed him a game ball. At this rate, more are on the way. The basket at home probably isn't large enough.


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning. John Unitas. Come Sunday afternoon, Reggie Wayne makes it a threesome.

"That's good company," the Indianapolis Colts veteran wide receiver said. "It's exciting, man.

"Hopefully after it's over with, get a W …  and I can celebrate in style."

The topic of discussion was Wayne being on the verge of reaching yet another milestone on an NFL journey that began in 2001. 

He’ll make his 200th regular-season appearance Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The only Colts players who have played more are Manning (208) and Unitas (206).

"It means that I've played a lot of games," Wayne replied when asked the significance of reaching 200. "You want to get 200 more. You want to play as much as you can. It's a credit to my strength coaches just to keep me healthy, giving me the right workouts to keep my body right.

"Hopefully the 200th game will be the best one yet."

Wayne would have put No. 200 behind him in 2013, but his pursuit was put on hold when he suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 20 against Denver. It snapped a streak of 189 consecutive appearances, which was the NFL's longest active streak among receivers.

Being there, Wayne insisted, always has been paramount.

"Absolutely. I really feel like being able to answer that bell each week, that's what it's all about," he said. "Getting the respect from my teammates, knowing that I’ll be there.

"That's bigger than touchdowns. That's bigger than catches. That's bigger than yards. At the end of the day when it's all said and done, I want that respect of my teammates, let them know I was there and I was a good teammate."

Along with being on the verge of his 200th game, Wayne needs three catches to move past Isaac Bruce (1,029) into the No. 7 spot all-time and 24 yards to move past Henry Ellard (13,777) into the No. 10 spot.

Coach Chuck Pagano has become numb to Wayne's continued excellence.

"…if you tell about milestones or somebody else tells me about the numbers, the number of games he's gone with three or more catches, all those type of things, am I shocked? No," he said. "He's the consummate pro. You can't have enough guys like Reggie in your locker room."


(theindychannel.com)

Pep Hamilton on Reggie Wayne’s production the last two weeks:

“Within the flow of the game, there are times where teams kind of scheme, rotate, take away certain guys.

“We feel like we have the flexibility within the system to keep everyone involved.”

Bowen’s Analysis: It speaks to the Hall of Fame type of volume for Wayne when questions come up at press conferences on a lack of production from Wayne after back-to-back 3 and 4 catch games. The crazier stat is that Wayne and T.Y. Hilton have been held out of the end zone, even with Andrew Luck leading the NFL in touchdown passes (9).

This is simply a byproduct of the weapons around Luck. Wayne himself said it best on his weekly radio show. He compared it back to his days with the likes of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison and how the touches might not be what most first round picks expect. Wayne doesn’t get too caught up in such things, knowing that wins and losses is the ultimate deciding factor. He also knows that when the game is on the line, the ball is in all likelihood coming towards Wayne.


(colts.com)

As part of the Conrad Hotel art experience, local artist and Colts fan Constance Edwards Scopelitis created a portrait of Reggie Wayne. The Portrait will be available for the public to view at the Conrad Hotel.

Constance graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from Indiana University and was a student of legendary American Figure painter Isabel Bishop.

In 1993 she established a studio in the exceedingly creative environment in the historical Stutz Building downtown Indy and promptly went to NYC and studied at the Art Students League. It wasn’t long before Constance gained representation in the national gallery scene including Hawaii, California, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas.


(wishtv.com)

Reggie Wayne secured 4-of-5 targets for 62 yards in the Colts' Week 3 win over the Jaguars.

Nine different Colts caught passes against Jacksonville. None of them topped 80 yards as Andrew Luck spread the ball around. Wayne has been held scoreless in each of Indy's first three games, and has only 88 yards over the last two combined. He's settling in as a low-upside WR3 option week to week.


(rotoworld.com)

The legal scandals that have engulfed the NFL in recent weeks haven't directly touched the Indianapolis Colts.

But that's not to say players and coaches aren't paying close attention to the headlines associated with Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and others.

Among those watching the events play out is veteran receiver Reggie Wayne. Has he, as a leader, been more vocal with teammates about the importance of staying out of trouble? Actually, it hasn't been necessary.

"To be honest, I don't think anybody has to say anything," Wayne said. "Just watch TV. Flip through the channels. You'll see it. Look what teams are doing to those people who are getting in trouble. You see guys on the exempt list, deactivated. That's what they're doing. So, what makes you think that you're going to be different? I think it's already understood, if you do something like that, especially right now, you already know what's going to happen. You better walk away."

Wayne stopped short of condemning the actions of others, choosing instead to focus on what happens in his own home.

Domestic violence "is not allowed in the Wayne household," he said. "One thing you can't do is question what other people do or what they're going through. Only thing you can do is better yourself and use what they're going through as an example. It's not something that you wish on somebody and it's not an example that you're excited to follow. But (I) don't have no worries about that. We have a strong grip on what goes on in our household.

"So far, so good."

Asked whether the team has considered what it would do with a player accused of acts similar to Rice or Peterson, coach Chuck Pagano said it would be dealt with appropriately.

"Really that's for the organization, Ryan (Grigson), I and Mr. (Jim) Irsay to (decide) how we're going to deal with things," Pagano said. "We understand the landscape. We understand what's going on. The league's going to have its policies. We're going to continue to educate. I think our players know exactly how our GM feels, how I feel, how the organization feels about that type of stuff. And we'll just continue to educate our guys on making the right choices and doing the right things."


(indystar.com)

Reggie Wayne caught three passes for 28 yards in the Colts' Week 2 loss to the Eagles on Monday night.

Wayne was targeted seven times on the night, but couldn't shake free for any big gains. Andrew Luck also couldn't complete any passes downfield with OC Pep Hamilton dialing up run play after run play mixed in with short throwing plays. Wayne should rebound next week against Jacksonville. He's a WR3/4.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne made his first appearance on his weekly radio show on WNDE-AM 1260 in Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Wayne talked about what caused a lot of concern in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. He slipped after catching a screen pass from quarterback Andrew Luck. Wayne was slow to get up, causing Luck to sprint over to see if his go-to receiver was OK. Wayne returned to the game after going to the sideline for one play. He finished with nine catches for 98 yards.

Wayne tore his ACL against Denver in Week 7 last season.

“As I’m slipping, going to the ground, it seemed like everything went into slow motion. It seemed like I could see everything happening all over again,” Wayne said on the show. “I do understand why there are four preseason games because my whole body hurts. I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack Truck because I didn’t get many reps [in the preseason].

“Then you realize it’s almost been a year since I put pads on and played a full game, and I can tell you it was tough sleeping [Monday] night, but it’s a great soreness just on the strength that I’m back in action. I’m back out there with my teammates. I feel great now. I feel a thousand times better, but at the time, it did affect me a bit.”

Wayne on the Ray Rice situation:

“I do not know Ray Rice, at all,” Wayne said. “Two, to the video that everyone has seen, it’s real disturbing. It really is. It’s something you don’t want to see with anybody. I don’t condone that. I don’t think you should put your hands on a female. And three, as far as if he was a teammate of mine, I honestly don’t know how I would respond. I would be disappointed, but at the same time, I know he’s a brother. I wouldn’t completely just cut him off. I’d find a way to be there with him. I’d still want to talk to him just to see what’s going on. At the same time, we don’t know what he told his teammates, either. I don’t know what I would do, but I’d definitely find a way to be there for him because at the end of the day he’s still a teammate, he’s still a brother and that’s what we do; we stick together and we figure it out together.”


(espn.com)

Every Tuesday we will wrap up the all the action from the previous week’s NFL action.

The Streak: Four proCanes scored (Allen Hurns (2 TDs), Greg Olsen (1 TD), Travis Benjamin (1 TD), Lamar Miller (1 TD)) to extend the TD Streak to 7 straight weeks a proCane has scored an NFL touchdown. As reminder the record is 149 straight weeks.

Allen Hurns, Jaguars: Hurns caught four passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first undrafted rookie to catch two touchdowns in his first game since the New York Giants’ Bobby Johnson in 1984. Two catches, two touchdowns, Hurns became the second NFL rookie to ever do that, joining Detroit’s Charles Rogers. Hurns also ended up playing the 2nd most amount of snaps among WRs behind Antonio Brown. Hurns has out-produced both receivers the Jaguars selected in the second round of the NFL draft in May. Not bad for an undrafted rookie

Andre Johnson, Texans: Johnson moved past Redskins legend Art Monk into 16th place in NFL history in receiving yards. Johnson, who hauled in six passes for 93 yards, has 12,754 yards in his 12 professional seasons.

Frank Gore, 49ers : Gore just the 29th running back in NFL history to reach the 10,000-yard mark, and just the 10th to eclipse the milestone with one franchise. With a four-yard run in the third quarter, Gore became one of just three active running backs in the 10,000-yard club. He is also just the second #proCane to do it; Edgerrin James ranks 10th all-time with 12,279 yards.

Devin Hester, Falcons: The Falcons promised to use Hester also as a WR this season, and so far they have fulfilled that promise. Hester caught 5-of-6 targets for 99 yards in the Falcons' Week 1 win over the Saints.

Seantrel Henderson, Bills: Henderson, who was drafted in seventh round of the year’s NFL Draft started his first NFL game in week 1 beating out 2nd round Bills draft pick Cyrus Kouandjo.

Greg Olsen: 8 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
Allen Bailey: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL
Reggie Wayne: Back from injury: 9 catches, 98 yards
Vince Wilfork: Back from injury: 2 tackles

DENVER — The Indianapolis Colts weren't able to finish the job Sunday night at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, but Reggie Wayne finished.

And that, in the end, was one of the primary objectives of the team's relentless and rehabbed receiver.

In his first game since suffering a season-ending knee injury Oct. 20 against these same Denver Broncos, Wayne made up for lost time. He finished with nine catches for 98 yards.

But again, the important aspect was he finished.

"Just to finish the game, show my teammates that I was back out there,'' Wayne said after the Colts' 31-24 loss to Denver. "Like I've been saying, I don't have anything else to prove to anybody else.

"I just wanted to show my teammates I was ready to go in the foxhole with them, go back out there and go to battle. I wanted to finish the game and that's what I was able to do.''

Wayne dealt with pregame jitters, but started quickly. On the Colts' first offensive snap, quarterback Andrew Luck found a crossing Wayne for a 22-yard completion.

"It was good to have Reggie back,'' Luck said.

Added coach Chuck Pagano: "It's like the Reggie of old. We didn't have to monitor how many plays here or there.

"He just went out and played. It was great.''

Wayne, 35 and in his 14th season, continued to establish milestones. He's now had a catch in 191 games, setting a club record he had shared with Marvin Harrison. He had at least three receptions for the 72nd consecutive game, extending his own NFL record.

All that was missing was a suitable closing kick. With the Colts in furious comeback mode but facing a fourth-and-6 at the Denver 39 with 1:57 remaining, Wayne was unable to gather in a Luck pass.

Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby was credited with a defended pass on the play. It appeared Roby might have jostled Wayne before the football arrived, causing Wayne to slip.

"Yeah, let's just say I slipped,'' Wayne said with a wry smile and not interested in drawing a fine from the NFL for questioning an official's non-call. "I've gotta keep my feet. I (usually) catch that ball. That's something we work on every day.''

As stirring a return as Wayne enjoyed, he forced Colts fans to hold their collective breath midway through the third quarter. He went down awkwardly, twisting his right knee. Wayne trotted to the bench for a play, then returned.

Was he concerned?

"Yeah, man. (But) it held up,'' Wayne said. "It scared me more than anything. It kind of aggravated it a little bit but I was able to tough it out.''

Wayne noted he's not the most flexible player on the team.

"When your leg goes back like that and my heel touches my butt, that's going to hurt regardless good knee, bad knee, anything,'' he said. "It kind of woke the knee up a little bit.''

Wayne considered the season-opening loss a bittersweet moment. Being dropped into a 24-0 second-quarter hole by the defending AFC champions was discouraging.

The second half comeback, though, once again revealed the Colts' resilient nature.

"I know what we're capable of doing,'' he said. "I know what kind of team we have. As you can see, no one gave up. Everybody continued to fight.
"That's what we've always done.'


(usatoday.com)

Time for another buy-low asset from the Indianapolis Colts. Ahmad Bradshaw was the first subject; now, Reggie Wayne.

Before he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Wayne was on pace for about 87 catches and 1,150 yards last year. Though the five-touchdown projected result would've been another disappointing total, the first two categories are ripe for point-per-reception utility.

Consider history: From 2009-2012, Wayne averaged the seventh most points per game (15.7) among wide receivers in PPR formats. He basically was continuing that excellence before hitting the sidelines.

In preseason action Saturday, Wayne had two catches taken back because of penalties. That plus the fact he was on the field for the first time in 10 months say he could show his vintage form sometime in October.

Don't overpay for a football player that turns 36 in November and is coming off a knee procedure. Wayne's current ADP of 33rd among non-PPR wideouts and 34th among PPR is a tad rich.

However, depending on how far he falls, those placements aren't outlandish. He's a borderline WR3 best drafted as a fourth.

Hakeem Nicks could steal a lot of Wayne's thunder early on. But if Wayne regains his stride, Nicks would more firmly inhabit the role of wideout No. 3 and have to compete with the tight ends, who remain a big factor for Andrew Luck.

If someone else takes Wayne and he tanks in the first half of the season, calling his frustrated owner would be a good idea. As his leg strength comes back, he could rack up receptions once again for one more useful fantasy stretch.

What this means for daily fantasy

At a $5,200 FantasyScore cost (10.4% of cap), Wayne is priced to play. Unfortunately, his knee probably won't be up to par yet, so he won't capitalize on the attractive Denver Broncos matchup. You're better off picking someone who's 100 percent.


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – The anticipation began building about 90 minutes before kickoff when Reggie Wayne’s name did not appear on the Colts “Will Not Play” list.

Through pre-game warmups and player introductions, the building grew as the thousands began to pour into Lucas Oil Stadium.

And finally the crescendo came when No. 87 ran out with the first team offense to mark his return to the playing field, 10 months removed from tearing the ACL in his right knee.

“It was good to see some real live bullets flying,” Wayne said after the game, with the normal media hoard back around 87’s locker.

"This is what all that hard rehab work was about, to get back out there with my teammates."

Wayne’s return lasted seven snaps on Saturday night as the 35-year old receiver got word from Chuck Pagano on Friday that his debut would come against the Saints.

A pair of catches by Wayne were nullified due to penalties, but he certainly didn’t show any limitations in his 2014 game action debut.

Andrew Luck knew during offseason work that whenever Wayne got back on the field, No. 12 would be looking his way on that initial snap.

“I had a really good idea on Thursday night there was a chance of that,” Luck said of his first toss going to Wayne on Saturday night.

“He always has that great look in his eye when he’s on the football field. It’s very, reassuring might not be the right word, but it’s great to play with.”

The small sample size for Wayne on Saturday night provided a brief glimpse of what the Colts offense hopes to look like come September 7.

A play like Coby Fleener’s touchdown, with the tight end running free down the middle of the field, shows the type of attention defenses will have to pay towards Wayne and the other Colts receivers.

The impact of Wayne’s return was felt during pre-game, too.

The 65,565 fans inside of Lucas Oil Stadium weren’t the only ones rejoicing at the return of Wayne.

When Wayne was introduced last on Saturday, the defensive starters were waiting at midfield for their leader.

“It was good to see the old man back,” Colts defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois said after the game.

“I had chills before waiting for them to call his name. To see him back, we ride off his energy and you know his energy is never down.”

In typical Wayne fashion, the Colts 14-year receiver ran towards the north end zone after being the final starter announced on Saturday.

Wayne thanked the fans at each corner of the end zone while they rang down with chants of “REG-GIE, REG-GIE.”

What has continued to drive Wayne during his ACL rehab is how much he valued being able to ring the bell for 189 consecutive starts.

To have the game he loves taken away from him, put into perspective what nights like Saturday mean to one the NFL’s most prolific receiver.

And to do it at home, made it all the better.

“I’ve always loved Indy,” Wayne said in thanking the fans.

“They’ve showed me nothing but respect, always treated me like this was home for me. I want to do everything I possibly can to show that respect back to them.”


(colts.com)

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne go way back. Well, sort of.

Wayne, a New Orleans-area native, was among the ones who got away when Payton was recruiting the area for the University of Illinois in his final year as a college coach in 1996.

Payton brought up that memory Tuesday when asked for his general impressions of Wayne throughout his stellar 13-year career and what he thinks of Wayne now trying to come back from a torn ACL at the age of 35.

It's possible that Wayne will make his preseason debut against the Saints on Saturday night, though that hasn't been decided yet.

"He's an extremely talented player," Payton said. "I know him a little bit uniquely because I was here in Louisiana recruiting high school players for the University of Illinois, C.J. and I."

That "C.J." refers to Curtis Johnson, the current Tulane head coach and former Saints receivers coach, who had a recruiting stranglehold on the New Orleans area back in those days. Johnson helped woo Wayne and safety Ed Reed, among others, to the University of Miami. Johnson also helped lure Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk to San Diego State, where Johnson and Payton first worked together.

"We spent a better part of a week going in and out of these schools," Payton continued. "I would say we got to about 30, 35 schools. Had I been just solo with a map, I probably would have gotten to 12. But Curtis would drive in, parking lot, back door, in a gymnasium, right to the coach, where normally you might go to the front desk and get a pass and go through all the correct steps. But that year, Reggie Wayne was coming out, that year Ed Reed was coming out. There was another good player coming out of St. Augustine High School, I think a defensive tackle, I can't think of his name. There were a handful of good players coming out. So I remember his recruitment, I remember hearing what I heard from Curtis and then over the years followed him.

"Look, he is very competitive. He's the type of player that could do that, that could recover from an injury like that. And he has had a great career."

I asked Payton if he ever beat out Johnson for a New Orleans-area prospect.

"Not while he was at Miami. No," said Payton, who remains close with Johnson and the Tulane program. "Every year there is great talent (in the New Orleans area). And one of the things he is doing so well at Tulane is identifying, recruiting, and those guys are winning their battles. It starts with the procurement of talent. He is very good at that."


(espn.com)

ANDERSON, Ind. - Reggie Wayne opened up to Eyewitness Sports about returning to the field this year after last year's injury to his ACL.

He said the biggest motivating factor to work through the injury was his son.

"Reggie Junior came up to me and he said, 'Daddy, so are you going to play football again? Is this it?' I told him, 'No, man. Dad's gonna be out there next season. Dad will be just like you've seen him since you've been born.' That alone was motivation because at the end of that, he said, 'Good, 'cuz I want to see you play.' So that was motivation for me to go out there with the team and play, just so my kids can see it. I didn't want the last thing for them to see was me being helped off the field."

13 WTHR Indianapolis


(wthr.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the biggest question marks still remaining with the Indianapolis Colts is: How will receiver Reggie Wayne look when he plays in a game?

The other question is: When will Wayne play in a game?

There’s no answer to either one of those questions yet.

Wayne has said a number of times during training camp that he wants the first tackle on his surgically repaired knee to be in a preseason game. With that said, you have to believe Wayne will play in Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Saints because the starters are expected to get extensive playing time in the first half.

“There’s a possibility,” coach Chuck Pagano said when asked if Wayne will play against the Saints. “We’re managing that thing and keeping a close eye on him. From a physical standpoint, make sure there’s not too much wear and tear on that knee early on and coming back and all those things. We’re going to monitor him this week and see how he goes. If things go according to plan, there’s a possibility there, but again, we’ll make sure he’s ready for action.”


(espn.com)

Reggie Wayne wants to be on the field in the preseason. He needs to be on the field in the preseason. If the Indianapolis Colts don't put him out there, they're making a mistake.

Wayne missed most of last season after his severe knee injury required surgery and months of rehabilitation. He's done the work, no question. He has looked good back at wide receiver in public training camp sessions at Anderson University, which ended on Wednesday.

Wayne has said all along he'd like to play in the preseason, if only for one game. The Colts play the New York Giants at 7 p.m. Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium, the New Orleans Saints at home on Aug. 23 and the Bengals in Cincinnati on Aug. 28.

“(We're) just kind of playing it by ear,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said on whether Wayne will play Saturday. “He looks really good out there, running around good. Obviously, we're keeping a close eye on him, watching his reps and things like that. We'll just play it by ear.”

Wayne seems itching to get on the field in a real game situation.

“I'm just following orders,” Wayne said. “As we always say, we're just here to serve. I'm just here to serve. Whenever they tell me it's time, I'll get ready. I'm going to do the same thing I have been doing, prepare like I am going to (play) and then once he gives me the bad news, I am going to sit it on down.”

If Wayne is back to full health, they should put him back in the rotation for the second and third games of the preseason. That will allow him to be comfortable with contact again, as well as work with the offense in game situations.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and the first-team offense are expected to play one quarter against the Giants, possibly less if they generate a couple of early scoring drives.

Typically, NFL teams play their starters into the third quarter in the third preseason game and that's been the Colts' routine in the first two seasons with Pagano in charge. If Wayne is only used in one preseason game, it should probably be the third. But if he can play in one, why not two?

The only benefit to holding Wayne out of preseason games would be if he needs more time to become fully healthy. That doesn't appear to be the case. He has run through every drill, taking days off only as determine by Pagano for veterans. During camp, Pagano believes in a two-on, one-off style of practicing for the veteran players to keep them fresh. Wayne has looked fresh.

The downside to holding Wayne out of the preseason entirely would be the fact he'd have to take his first hit in a regular-season game.

Now, that first hit will matter. Regardless of how confident a player is, nor how many years he has played, there remains uncertainty in testing the surgically repaired body.

The knee is so essential to Wayne's play, as he makes his living out of running crisp routes with sharp cuts and moves to find openings. He's not a speed demon. He's receiver-as-artist, painting the field canvas with precise strokes.

Wayne said he would prefer to have his first hit in the preseason.

“That's the mindset, but at the same time if the big dog tells me to sit it down, I am going to sit it down,” Wayne said. “Like I said, I am just here to serve. I am just a servant. I'm Semmi in 'Coming to America.' I'm just here to do my job and when it's time and the time comes, I am going to be ready, ready to perform the way I have been performing.”

Set aside the fact Wayne shows his age with his reference to a 1988 Eddie Murphy movie. He has been in the league long enough to know his own body.
Play Wayne. Let him work out the initial apprehension, presuming he has to have some, in the preseason. Then he'll be relaxed and ready to be his usual reliable self when it counts.


(fortwayne.com)

The Indy Star's Stephen Holder says Reggie Wayne has exceeded his expectations in Wayne's return from an ACL tear.

Beat writer reports on Wayne have been glowing, even as the Colts limit his reps. Per Holder, the 35-year-old has "looked fresh and fast," and his "hands are as reliable as ever." If Wayne can keep this up, he should reemerge as the favorite to lead Indianapolis in catches. His ADP is in the middle seventh round.


(rotoworld.com)

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano had some time to kill before it was his turn to address the media Tuesday morning.

So rather than sit back and wait until receiver Reggie Wayne finished talking, Pagano decided to join in the interview session.

Here’s the transcript of the interview:

Pagano: Have you forgot how to play the game, Reggie?
Wayne: I have not forgotten how to play. It’s been some months, been since October. I’m excited about this opportunity to be back out here with my teammates. After you have been playing since you were 7 years old, I don't think you can forget.

Pagano: Is it like riding a bike?
Wayne: I think it’s even easier than riding a bike. I have probably played football more than I have ridden a bike the last nine years of my life. It’s easier; it’s like waking up and brushing your teeth.

Pagano: When it is taken away from you, how much do you miss it?
Wayne: It puts everything into perspective; it really makes you think about going out there and treating it like it could be your last one. One thing it did, it made me understand and respect it even more. When you’re out there on a daily basis, you always think I am going to be alright, I am going to be here "X" amount of time. But then when it’s pulled from right under your feet, it’s humbling. Last year was rough for me, it really was. I took that time to get back right and at the same time it made me respect it, it made me understand it, it made me even hungrier to take each day that I’m out here practicing with my teammates. It made me want to be out there even more because you never know, so you have to treat it as such.


(espn.com)

ANDERSON, Ind. — Rolling through town to catch some Indianapolis Colts action, anxious to see just how good this team looks with some fairly lofty expectations this season.

Media access was this morning, so I didn't get to talk to players after practice Monday, but I'll do that tomorrow. In lieu of that, I thought I would pass on some general observations from what I saw at Anderson University.

The team was in shorts and shells — head coach Chuck Pagano is said to be limiting the full contact the team will have in camp — but there still was plenty to take in. Here goes:

Reggie Wayne is the most beloved Colt. More than Andre Luck even. Crazy, right? Fans cheered Wayne when he jogged toward them. They cheered when he ran away from them. Even catching a ball running at three-quarters speed in individual drills elicited applause.

Wayne is coming off an ACL injury, and he's not quite full go yet, although he was involved in plenty of team work Monday and looked good. I thought he geared up as the practice went on, starting cautiously when he was cutting, planting and pivoting — all the things you worry about post-ACL reconstruction — but looking smoother and more confident.

Wayne caught two notable passes in seven-on-seven work: one a tumbling sideline grab that he bounced up quickly from and another down the seam that would have been a touchdown, both of which (you guessed it) got the crowd amped. They love Reggie, and they are happy he appears to be on his way back nicely. Wayne plans to play in the preseason, and you can tell he wants to rev it up a little bit more. The Colts, meanwhile, appear to be holding him back a bit, wanting to be sure he doesn't press back into action too quickly.


(sports.yahoo.com)

Despite yet another run to the playoffs last season, you could tell that the Indianapolis Colts missed having veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne in the fold on offense. Missing last season with a knee injury that required surgery was a tough break for one of the best veteran players in the NFL, but he’s back in 2014 to help lead the Colts on another playoff charge.

And in even better news, he’s feeling great out there on the field again.

“Like I’ve been saying, so far, so good,” Wayne said following Thursday morning’s walkthrough at Anderson University. “I haven’t had any problems, nothing out of the norm.

“I haven’t had any pain. Nothing has set me back.”

So far in camp, Wayne has been looking like his old self once again as he was pulling off amazing catches on balls from quarterback Andrew Luck. Even head coach Chuck Pagano seems pleased with the way his star has looked thus far.

“That’s the way it looked to me,” Pagano offered last week after watching Wayne go through his first full-squad work since having his knee repaired. “When you go back, you watch it live and then you go back and watch it on film. It’s really incredible.

“But again, it probably doesn’t shock anybody here. It certainly doesn’t shock me. We all know his mindset, his work ethic and his determination, and how bad he wanted to get back.”


(fansided.com)

Reggie Wayne on his first week of Training Camp:

“I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do. I’ve run every route. There’s nothing that’s holding me back. Nothing that keeps me from doing whatever it is that they want me to do.”

Bowen’s Analysis: Wayne has looked very, very solid so far in camp. He’s taken his fair share of reps as the coaches keep him on a pitch count through the first week in Anderson. The red zone has been an area where Wayne has shown up on several occasions for Andrew Luck. One interesting thing to watch going forward will be if Wayne participates in the preseason games. Wayne says he would like to not have his first tackle be in a regular season game, but at the same time he looks at guys like Ballard and Thomas going down and quickly sees the big picture.


(colts.com)

The Indianapolis Colts lost star wide receiver Reggie Wayne to a torn ACL last season, and they were very nervous about how he would return this year. He has been a pleasant surprise in training camp, and according to reports “looks amazing” on the field. Wayne is going to be a vital piece for the Colts’ success this season, and it appears that he is 100% healthy and ready to be a difference maker once again.

Watching him in practice today, would never have guessed WR Reggie Wayne is returning from ACL surgery. Looks amazing.

— Stephania Bell (@Stephania_ESPN) July 28, 2014

Wayne played in just seven regular season games with the Colts last season before going down with injury, but did catch 38 passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers alone show that he is more than capable of being a playmaker, and even at the age of 35 has some good football left in him. Hopefully he will be able to have complete confidence in his knee when he gets back out on the field against full speed competition, and will have the same impact that he has had on games throughout his entire career.

It will be very intriguing to see where the Colts end up using him this season, especially with how much competition there is at the wide receiver position this season. The Colts signed former New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks this offseason, and he is expected to make a big impact now that he has been given a fresh start. Indianapolis also has another up-and-coming star in T.Y. Hilton, who is looking to make an even bigger mark on the game this season.



No matter how Chuck Pagano decides to use Wayne this season, he is going to be on the field making plays for Andrew Luck once again. The Colts need his veteran leadership and dependability, and he is ready to get back out there and give them just that. He may end up getting some rest with all of the talented pieces that the Colts have put together, and that actually would end up being a very good thing for him in the long run.


(fansided.com)

The only sign of receiver Reggie Wayne having any kind of knee issue was the ice bag wrapped around his right knee as he caught passes from the Jugs machine after practice Sunday. Turns out the ice wrapped around Wayne’s knee was just a precaution. Besides that, as he hauled in passes during a red-zone drill in practice, Wayne looked like the player who terrorized defenses for many years prior to tearing his ACL last October. He caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Andrew Luck between two defenders and another one from Luck that was tipped by the defender. There’s still more than a month before the Sept. 7 opener against Denver, but Wayne is continuing to make steady progress toward regaining his form from the torn ACL.


(espn.com)

Nine months ago this past Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts were closing out a massive Sunday Night Football win over the previously undefeated Denver Broncos in Peyton Manning's return to Indy.  In the fourth quarter of that game, star wide receiver Reggie Wayne went down to get a low pass and went to the ground clutching his knee.  And just like that, Reggie had torn his ACL and was lost for the season.

As he lay on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, realizing that his season was likely over, the crowd began the famous "Reggie!" chant, but Reggie was convinced to get back to hear that chant when he was scoring touchdowns, not laying on the field injured.

Today, after nine hard months of rehab, Reggie Wayne was back on the field for the Colts, and he couldn't be happier.  "This is what I work hard for," Reggie said.  "This is all the two and three-a-days and rehabbing and stuff like that. This is what it's about. Today felt pretty doggone good."  When he ran out on the practice field for the first time today, with his jersey tucked halfway up his stomach like normal and while strapping on his gloves, the fans watching practice today gave the star receiver a pretty nice ovation.  In response, Reggie turned toward the crowd and gave a fist pump.  And throughout the practice, Reggie got back to being Reggie.  He said that, other than being limited a bit and having to do what the coaches say, he "felt like the old Reggie."

He certainly looked like it, too.  The highlight of the day with Reggie came via a perfect pass from quarterback Andrew Luck, as Reggie was running down the left sideline with Darius Butler close behind, and Luck threw the ball perfectly over Butler's head and hands and right into Reggie's hands, perfectly in stride.  What was clear was that, even though missing half of last season, the timing between Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne was still there and that Reggie will be a big factor this year.  It was hard to tell exactly how effective Reggie will be, but there was really nothing I could tell when watching practice today that would suggest that Reggie had lost a step - other than, of course, the fact that he was limited, but he'll gradually get more playing time as camp goes on.

Reggie had talked back at minicamp about how he was going to bring his boxing gloves to camp in case Chuck Pagano wouldn't let him go to start training camp, and he said the same thing yesterday.  It sounds like Reggie thinks that his coach won round one of the imaginary fight.  "We want to stay the course, even if I don't agree to it. I give Coach Pagano the first round, he won this first round."  Reggie said that he did over half the practice and wanted to do the rest, but that Pagano told him to take it easy.  Reggie's eager to get back to a full go, but that'll come with time and it's the right thing to take it slow.  From what we did see from Reggie Wayne today, however, it's clear that he will be a factor and it was great to see him back.

When asked about whether any emotions came flooding back today when reflecting on the long road back, Reggie gave a perfect answer that is totally a Reggie Wayne answer: "No, I'll leave that for retirement. I'm good."

Luckily for the Colts, that retirement is probably still a few years away.  Reggie Wayne is back.


(stampedeblue.com)

INDIANAPOLIS –For nearly a decade and a half, Reggie Wayne’s vacation in sunny Florida has ended near the end of July.

This signifies the start of a grind, with humid training camp practices awaiting a player that has called Indianapolis home since 2001.

Training camp days can drag and become draining with family members away, along with the regular season seemingly still too far away.

But that’s not the case for Wayne, especially as he enters his 14th NFL Training Camp at an age where nearly every NFL player has already hung up the cleats.

“I’m a little bit more hungrier now. I hear Coach Pagano talk about all the time having something taken away from you and there’s nothing you can do about it. It was taken away from me since October. So yeah, it will be different,” Wayne said on Wednesday upon reporting for duty to Anderson University.

“It kind of feels like I’m a rookie all over again. I’m just anxious to go out there and prove what I can do. It’ll be fun. I’m excited and hopefully you can see the Reggie of the rookie times.”

Ever since Wayne began giving updates on his ACL injury rehab, he has stated that he was well ahead of schedule.

He reassured that notion on Wednesday morning, after exiting a two-seater IndyCar for his entrance to training camp.

“I’ve been cleared, yes I have. I am ready to go,” Wayne said.

“So we’ll just see from that point on. Hopefully everything stays the course and I’ll be out there (Thursday).”

Wayne is a realist.

He knows that an initial training camp practice on July 24 pales in comparison to a Sunday night matchup in Denver on September 7.

Sure, he’s packed the boxing gloves to “duke it out” with Chuck Pagano trying to keep Wayne from rushing back too quickly, but the veteran wide receiver knows the head coach has the best interest of the Colts oldest skill player in mind.

“I have to be smart, listen to my body, not try to prove any points,” Wayne says.

“The main objective is to be out there for the first game. The one thing I do understand is (the Denver game is) a little bit something more serious I need to look at and just take it day by day.”

As Wayne enters training camp at the age of 35, he reiterates how difficult it was to stand, at times hopelessly, on the sidelines for the better half of the 2013 season.

It was a place Wayne wasn’t used to spending his game days.

A racecar entrance to Anderson is an indication from Wayne that he is ready to steal a phrase from Ricky Bobby and “go fast” again.

“I’m eager to get out there and pick up where I left off,” Wayne says. “We already know what’s at stake here. It’s time to punch in and go to work.

“Fourteen years later, it’s the same intensity. It’s the same objective, and that’s to come out here and get better as a team. Let’s try to hoist that Lombardi after the season is over.”


(colts.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne’s 2013 season ended early with an ACL injury. Wayne’s rehab has gone well and been ahead of scheduled and heading into training camp he said he has been cleared and is ready to go.

[related-category

“I’m eager to get out and pick up where I left off,” Wayne said, via the team’s website.

“I’ve been cleared. I am ready to go… We will just see from that point on.”

Wayne also made a dramatic entrance to the Colts’ training camp, showing up in Indy Car, which was driven by Ed Carpenter, the Butler University product who has been the pole sitter at the last two Indy 500s.

Wayne said the big arrival had a special meaning to the team.

“It’s a sign for the Colts. We need to come out fast. We need to have a sense of urgency. We need to come out moving with some speed. This is one way of entering camp with the motto for the team,” Wayne said.

Plus it was just plain fun.

“I enjoyed every single bit of that,” Wayne. “I’m a guy that likes speed and this is one way to get that into you.”


(fansided.com)

Colts almost literally hit the ground running after leaving the womb, so maybe it should come as little surprise that the Indianapolis Colts' rebirth as an NFL power has taken almost no time at all.

Heading into Year 3 P.M. - post-Manning - head coach Chuck Pagano, quarterback Andrew Luck and a roster mostly devoid of thirtysomethings have helped guide this franchise to 22 regular-season wins, two playoff berths and its first postseason triumph since Peyton Manning led a come-from-behind victory in the 2009 AFC Championship Game.

But the Colts will run their next derby with the welcome return of an old warhorse, wideout Reggie Wayne, whose absence clearly impacted the offense last year after he suffered a torn right anterior cruciate ligament Oct. 20.

Though Wayne will turn 36 in November, his coach can't stress his value to the program enough.

"When I got this job, Reggie wasn't under contract," Pagano told USA TODAY Sports, reflecting back on the 2-14 outfit he inherited after the 2011 season. "I asked Reggie to take a leap of faith because everybody was gone. This whole organization was blown up - rookie quarterback, rookie GM, rookie head coach. But he's so loyal to the (team) and to this community and this city."

Though he caught his last pass from Manning in 2010, Wayne has remained highly productive, averaging 72.3 receiving yards per game over the past three years, a figure that equates to 1,156 yards over a full season.

Perhaps more important, Wayne is the old soul of a young team, the mentor Luck and other up-and-comers lean on.

"He can still play. You know he's gonna get open, you know he's gonna make the catch," Pagano says of Wayne, whom he's known since their days together at the University of Miami (Fla.) two decades ago.

"And you know what he brings to the table as far as the locker room and your facility with the type of leader and type of man that he is. It's gonna be great to have him back in there."

Maybe not so great for opposing defenses.

Despite issues running the ball and safeguarding Luck - not to mention losing Wayne for half the year - the Colts scored nearly a field goal more per game in 2013 than they did in 2012.

Now there are new parts on offense, and Pagano says his defense is "better than ever. We're looking to wreak havoc. Going into Year 3, guys are really comfortable."

Then there's the expected progression by Luck, who's now one ring behind 2012 draftmate Russell Wilson.

"He's maturing as a leader and growing into that role," Pagano says of Luck, the No. 1 pick two years ago. "You can start to see that part of it coming out.
"We feel really great about where he is in his progress and look for him to lead us to a championship."

With the league's easiest schedule based on opponents' 2013 winning percentage (.430), expectations in Indianapolis are hitting a full gallop.

Saddle up.


(freep.com)

Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne (knee) can still play, get open and make a catch, according to head coach Chuck Pagano. Pagano said it will be great to have Wayne back (from injury) not only because of his on-field ability but because of the leadership he brings to the locker room.

Fantasy Tip: The boat has sailed on the prime of Wayne's career and the Colts wide receiver corps is stacked with WRs T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, Da'Rick Rogers and rookie Donte Moncrief all in the mix. Wayne should be considered a WR4 or flex option in standard leagues.


(kffl.com)

NEWS UPDATE
Wayne has been running routes at the team's facility and his most recent checkup with doctors didn't show any fluid in his surgically-repaired knee, which Wayne says are signs he's ready to return from a torn ACL. "There's no reason why I shouldn’t be ready [for training camp] in July,” he told ESPN.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS
Wayne was cleared for football activities in late April, but hasn't practice with the team this spring as he'll play it safe until training camp. We'll get a better read on his health in training camp and see how he'll fit into the mix with fellow wideouts Hakeem Nicks and T.Y. Hilton.


(rotowire.com)

Reggie Wayne was in full uniform and pads Thursday afternoon.

Unfortunately, this came well after the Indianapolis Colts were finished with the final day of mandatory minicamp, and Wayne was only in full regalia for a photo shoot inside the team's practice facility.

In time, though, he will be fully outfitted for the July 23 start of training camp in Anderson, at which time he will endeavor to answer the big question on everybody's minds: "Can a 35-year-old wide receiver come back from a full ACL tear and return to the same form he's shown through more than a decade of unbridled excellence?"

Look, we root for Wayne, one of the best players and best guys ever to come through Indianapolis. We root for him to come back like the old Wayne — not an old Wayne — running precise routes, taking over games, catching almost everything thrown his way.

If anybody can hold back the hands of time, it's Wayne.

But this is no sure deal.

Didn't we say the same thing about Marvin Harrison before a knee injury at roughly the same time in his career left him in a dramatically diminished state? Isn't 35 a little bit old, in football years, to be fighting back from major knee surgery?

"The bones and joints are a little older," Wayne said, comparing this ACL surgery with the ACL work he had done in 1998 while he was at the University of Miami. "You know that myth, they say you can tell when it's going to rain? It's true. So yeah, (rehabilitation) has been harder. In '98, I was a young buck. And I knew I had some time. I knew I had two more years, possibly a third because I never red-shirted.

"Now, I'm 35. I don't think I have any red-shirt eligibility left. Now I'm married, have kids, it's different all across the board … But for some strange reason, I seem to be hungrier than I was back then. I know I don't have that time now. I know what my age is. So I'm geeked to show everybody what I can do at age 35 (36 in November)."

The odds are against Wayne, and while the Colts won't acknowledge that, they've responded by adding at least two wide receivers, Hakeem Nicks and rookie Donte Moncrief, to the roster. At the very least, general manager Ryan Grigson and the Colts had to protect themselves. There's just no guarantee Wayne will be his old productive self when he returns. And they had to protect themselves in the future, knowing full well Wayne has less than a handful of good seasons in front of him.

So how does Colts coach Chuck Pagano know Wayne will return as his old self?”

"He just told me he will," Pagano said with a smile. "That's all I needed. Knowing him long enough (they were both at the University of Miami at the same time), that's all I needed to hear. I mean, you look at him, he looks phenomenal. You guys probably haven't seen him work out and run, but he looks great. Again, I'd be shocked if he wasn't ready. The only reason that he might not get reps early will be because of me if we decided to hold him back."
When that latter piece of information was shared with Wayne, he shook his head.

"I plan on bringing some extra boxing gloves for me and Chuck, so whenever he tells me I can't go, we're going to lace them up," he said. "I feel great. I can't wait until camp."

Wayne actually tore an ACL in high school but it was never diagnosed and he played two more years on it. Then he did it again at the University of Miami. This is roughly the same injury — a complete tear — but in the other knee. And that's a good thing, in a sense: Wayne has been through the rehabilitation process, knows what to expect. He said he's not going to need that feeling-out period when an athlete wonders if he can make the kind of violent cut necessary to elude a cornerback.

"Once you realize, 'Hey, it's probably the healthiest joint in your body,' you're good," he said. "I went through that in '98 when I wasn't sure, there was a little uncertainty, but I don't have that now."

So Wayne rehabs and watches and shares information with young receivers … and waits. In little more than a month's time, he will make his annual grand entrance into Anderson — how do you beat a helicopter arrival? — and will get back to work, insistent on beating back the ravages of time and injury.

"The most motivating thing for me now is my teammates," Wayne said. "I felt like I left them hanging last year a little bit. … Do I have to prove anything else? It's been 13 years. I have a resume. I can email it, mail it, whatever you want. I don't have anything to prove to anybody. I know what I can do; the guys in the room know what I can do. But I want to show the first-timers what I can do, the ones who call me 'Mr. Wayne' and say they played with me on Madden, I've got to show those guys.

"I'm excited, man. I feel great. There's no reason I shouldn't be ready in July."

If Wayne can make it back from this injury, at this stage of his career, it will be one heck of a second act.


(indystar.com)

The Colts are 58 days into their offseason work, and two days of mandatory minicamp remain before they hit the pause button.

Players report July 23 to Anderson University for the start of training camp.

The closing objective: make the most of what time remains.

"Each week in the offseason you can be here there's a lot of importance to," quarterback Andrew Luck said following Tuesday afternoon's first minicamp session. "(There's) a limited amount of work time as a team in the offseason.

"It is minicamp. There's a little extra energy, vigor in there. We're looking forward to getting out and running full speed and getting better, getting a lot of plays in.''

The opening minicamp session unfolded under bright sunlight and with temperatures reaching the high-80s.

In team exercises, it was the starting offense vs. the starting defense. It was non-contact, but play appeared crisp and on a few occasions tempers flared.

"We want to finish this minicamp strong going into training camp come July 23," coach Chuck Pagano said.


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Reggie Wayne watched anxiously as the Colts' offseason workouts rolled on without him Tuesday.

He's not permitted to be in the huddle and wasn't even allowed to be on the sideline as the Colts' mandatory three-day mini-camp opened. For a 35-year-old Pro Bowl receiver who has preached the importance of practice for more than a decade, it was pure agony.

Yes, Wayne would have preferred to be out on the field on this warm, blustery afternoon.

"Yeah, he was ready to run in there right at the end of that team drill. He looks great," coach Chuck Pagano said when asked about Wayne occasionally poking his head out from the team's indoor practice facility to catch a glimpse of practice. "Again, we're going to have to have plenty of security around him so he doesn't sneak out in pads come training camp time and try to get in there too soon."

Indianapolis has clamped down hard and with good reason given the league's spate of offseason injuries this year.

While Wayne has been cleared to do essentially everything on his own, including running, team officials have held him out of team work as he attempts to recover from a torn ACL in his right knee at an age most of the league's top receivers ponder retirement. There's no rush to make it happen now anyway because the Colts expect Wayne to be healthy during training camp.

But there's no doubt Wayne has made an impression on those around him.

He's continued his usually rigorous offseason routine in Miami's scorching heat in hopes of proving all the doubters wrong, and he's served as a mentor to teammates and coaches whenever he's been in town.

Last week, Indy's assistant coaches appeared ready to draft him onto the staff even though they know he'll be more valuable catching passes from Andrew Luck, and Wayne has been popping up in strange places around the team complex, too.

"He's like another coach, and he's not just in the wide receivers room," said tight end Dwayne Allen, who missed most of last season with a hip injury. "He's been in a lot of different rooms, showing you how to come back from an injury, how to run different routes and stuff like that."

It was originally thought Wayne would speak with reporters Tuesday, something he hasn't done since April. Instead, he left that task to his teammates and Pagano. Wayne is expected to talk either Wednesday or Thursday.

But he's only part of the story at this week's final offseason mini-camp.

Three of Indy's defensive starters sat out Tuesday — cornerback Vontae Davis, safety LaRon Landry and defensive end Cory Redding.

Pagano said Redding was excused to tend to deal with "family stuff," while Davis was out with a groin injury after signing a four-year, $39 million deal in March.

Landry, meanwhile, was undergoing team physicals after skipping all of Indy's previous offseason workouts following a season in which he did not meet his two-time Pro Bowl pedigree.

"He (Landry) works probably as hard as anybody, but we wish he was here more time," Pagano said. "But he's working, probably too hard."

The Colts also are trying to fill holes after losing defensive end Fili Moala and safety Corey Lynch with season-ending injuries last week.

They recently signed former Broncos safety Mike Adams, who hopes to compete with Delano Howell for a starting job, and brought in two more players for workouts Tuesday — defensive tackle Brandon McKinney and linebacker-safety Jonathan Sharpe. Sharpe was in camp with Seattle last season as an undrafted rookie. McKinney ended up on the Colts' injured reserve list for the second straight season and made the two-hour drive from Dayton, Ohio on Monday to work out for the coaches.

"My main thing is show them I can still move around, still cut on it," McKinney said, referring to his surgically-repaired left knee. "I'm just trying to prove I can come in and play the game."

Wayne doesn't have to prove he can play the game — just that he can be his old self.

And there's no shortage of motivation.

He needs 97 receptions and 1,015 yards to break Marvin Harrison's franchise records, he's in the final year of his contract and has made no secret of his desire to demonstrate he's no ordinary 35-year-old football player.

Luck expects nothing less.

"I leave that up to the doctors and coaches to decide how much we do, but it's always nice to have him in the building," Luck said. "He's a great presence. He's also a great learning tool for a lot of young guys. He's always willing to share his thoughts if you ask him. So it's just nice to have him around."


(usatoday.com)

An injured right knee has kept Colts receiver Reggie Wayne on the sideline the entire offseason.

Team doctors weren't even willing to clear him for Tuesday's opening practice in the team's mandatory three-day mini-camp.

But the Pro Bowler is still making an impact around the team complex.

Wayne is instructing younger players such as tight end Dwayne Allen on how to deal with injuries, run crisper routes and make progress when nobody else is paying attention. Allen says he's been showing up in other meeting rooms, not just with the quarterbacks and receivers. He's been so active that the Colts assistant coaches are ready to make Wayne one of their own.

By August, though, coach Chuck Pagano expects Wayne back where he belongs - catching passes.


(14news.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Wide receiver Reggie Wayne has not taken a snap during the Indianapolis Colts' OTA workouts this year. But the veteran is expected to be ready to go when the 2014 regular season starts in September.

Wayne suffered a torn ACL in last season's win over Denver and missed the remainder of the year. He underwent surgery in late October and has been cleared to return to the practice field.

But Indianapolis officials have decided to take it easy on the 35-year old for the time being. They aren't worried about his return to the starting lineup. But they are being cautious in an attempt to avoid any potential issues heading into training camp.

Still, just having Wayne around has been an educational experience for all the other Colts receivers and tight ends. Seeing the work ethic that he has put in to return to action hasn't been lost on players like tight end Coby Fleener.

"He's an unbelievable player and I think that's due to his work ethic," Fleener said recently. "When it comes to him being injured, he wants to be on the field so bad. He's going to work as hard as possibly he can to get back.

"I think the amount of leadership and experience that Reggie brings to the table is something that is kind of understated. People don't talk enough about it. They talk about the amazing catches that he makes and the plays on the field. But really, he's like a coach on the field as well. Whether it's in practice, teaching the young guys or in the games, helping me out with a call (that) I didn't hear. He's an amazing player and an amazing guy."

Quarterback Andrew Luck would agree.

"He's a freak," Luck admitted. "I'm not a doctor or a trainer, but I don't have any concerns about Reggie being ready to go when the season starts."


(kspr.com)

Although Reggie Wayne (ACL) is not participating in OTAs, he has been cleared for football activities.

The Colts are taking it slow with Wayne, who is roughly seven months removed from his knee reconstruction. He's expected to take the field with his teammates when training camp opens on July 23. It's an aggressive timetable for a 35-year-old receiver that relies so heavily on sudden cuts and precision route-running, but people within the Colts are calling Wayne a "freak." We'd like to get a look at his progress in a preseason game before painting a rosy picture.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne has already let it be known that he wants to prove the doubters who question whether he can return to form at age 35 following ACL surgery wrong.

Wayne isn't taking part in the team's organized team activities as expected, but quarterback Andrew Luck has seen enough of his go-to receiver to make him believe that Wayne will be just fine.

"His attitude is awesome," Luck said. "He's around, he's coaching, he's talking football. I feel like I know Reggie. He's going to be back better than ever doing things that the 35-plus years olds shouldn't be allowed to do on this earth. He's a freak."

The plan all along was to bring Wayne, who tore his ACL in Week 7 against Denver last season, back slowly. He was cleared for football activities in late April but he's not expected to take the field with his teammates until training camp. Players report for camp in Anderson, Indiana, on July 23.


(espn.com)

Reggie Wayne is barely six months removed from ACL surgery, yet yesterday’s progress (running along the side) was another step in the right direction for the 14-year veteran trying to make a comeback in 2014.

Fantasy Impact:
Wayne tore his ACL in late October, so he'll be 10 months removed from the surgery by the time the season starts in September. We're not optimistic that the 35 year-old Wayne is going to look like his old self anytime soon. The Colts signed Hakeem Nicks as insurance.


(4for4.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne is recovering from a torn ACL. While there have been no indications that Wayne has had any setbacks that does not necessarily mean that he will participate in the teams minicamp next month.

Wayne is expected to be ready to go and in the lineup come Week 1 so there should not be a lot of time spent dissecting this decision.

ESPN Colts blogger Mike Wells believes that the team could wait until training camp to work Wayne into the offense.

Wayne’s 2013 season was caught short after seven games. He caught 38 passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns. Given his 1006 career catches for 13,566 yards and 80 touchdowns it should only be a few minutes before Wayne gets back into the habit of the Colts offense.


(tireball.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — Last week, Reggie Wayne said he's using "naysayers" in the media as motivation during his rehabilitation from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The 35-year-old wide receiver has 1,006 receptions for 13,566 yards and 80 touchdowns over 13 professional seasons. He's a six-time Pro Bowl selection and one day might have a spot in the Hall of Fame.

If there are outside doubts about whether he can return to that form because of his age and the severity of his injury, few are shared inside the Indianapolis Colts' locker room.

"I think there are exceptions to every rule," third-year quarterback Andrew Luck said. "I think Reggie Wayne is an exception to a lot of rules. We know he's going to come back and produce at a very high level, and we're all very excited about it."

Former New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was signed to a one-year deal in part to provide insurance against another setback for Wayne. But his name can be added to the list of those predicting a full comeback for the veteran receiver.

"He's working while we're working," Nicks said. "He's always still one of the first ones here. So I think, from that aspect, he's not losing anything. It's just a matter of when he can get back on the field and pick up where he left off at."

Third-year wide receiver T.Y. Hilton became a star in Wayne's absence last season. He caught 82 passes for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, then set franchise records with 13 recepetions and 224 yards in the playoff victory against Kansas City.

A healthy return by Wayne and the addition of Nicks could cut into his production, but Hilton is excited about the possibilities.

"We're a team," he said. "So when one guy is having fun, then we all have fun. As long as we're winning and doing the right things, we should be good."


(heraldbulletin.com)

This year's prolonged stretch between the end of the 2013 season and the 2014 NFL Draft has left media outlets with a little more room to get creative with ideas in trying to fill the time until actual football happens again.

One of the main strategies in this endeavor is to put out a series of NFL All-Something teams. In an original wrinkle, CBS Sports took this a step further by having two of their football writers come up with an All-Under-25 team and an All-Over-30 team and then comparing them side-by-side with the goal of seeing who could come up with the better roster.

For the matchup, CBS Sports enlisted columnist Pete Prisco to come up with an Under-25 team to go up against columnist Pat Kirwan's Over-30 team.
As expected, both writers think their team is superior. Regardless, proCanes were represented on the Over-30 team with six. Zero proCanes made the under-25 team which speaks to the State of The Hurricanes teams the last few years.

Here's where they landed:
Over-30 Team, Pat Kirwan

Running back: The claim is never let a 30 year old in your backfield. Well, think again. My top choices are Frank Gore, DeAngelo Williams, Fred Jackson and Darren Sproles. I'll start Frank Gore but have Sproles ready for third down.

Wide receiver: I found 10 receivers I would like on the ol' boys team; Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson, Anquan Boldin, Roddy White, Wes Welker and Steve Smith. I can't have them all but I'll take Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall with Welker in the slot.
Starters: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (30) and Brandon Marshall, Bears (30)
Reserves: Wes Welker (32), Andre Johnson (32), Vincent Jackson (31)

Defensive tackles: Good luck running the ball against Haloti Ngata and Vince Wilfork with 700 lbs. of beef inside. When they need a rest or its time to rush the passer I have to decide between Kyle Williams, Justin Tuck and Darnell Dockett. Those three had 26 sacks between them last year.
Starters: Haloti Ngata, Ravens (30) and Vince Wilfork, Patriots (32)

Safeties: Guys who play safety for 10 years may lose a step but they can read a quarterbackand get him to do things a young safety hasn't even though of yet. My starters for the clash of the young and old will be Troy Polamalu and Antrel Rolle. If I want to go "big nickel" and bring an extra safety, Dashon Goldson and LaRon Landry are available.
Starters: Antrel Rolle, Giants (31) and Troy Polamalu, Steelers (32)

Special teams: Stephen Gostkowski just turned 30 and he was five for six on 50+ attempts but I could always call up Vinateri or any number of the kickers. Jon Ryan, punter for the Seahawks, only allowed 21 returns for a total of 82 yards the whole season and 28 punts inside the 20. Devin Hester can handle the returns with his 13 for touchdowns over his career.
Starters: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (30), Jon Ryan, Seahawks (32), Devin Hester, Falcons (31)

On the same day Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck called Reggie Wayne a "freak in terms of health and what he can do at his age," the veteran receiver promised his surgically rebuilt knee wouldn't hold him back in 2014.

"You can believe I'm that dog that keeps jumping over the fence," Wayne told reporters Friday at a charity event, per The Indianapolis Star.

"You guys say that I can't do it. I'm 35. I'm over the hill. No way I can come back the same," said the 13-year veteran. "I wasn't a big newspaper reader, but I've become one. Next time I read it, maybe you'll be saying I've found the fountain of youth."

Wayne spoke repeatedly of his "naysayers," telling the group: "It's you guys. You guys motivate me."

Wayne also has his believers, including Luck, who knows firsthand what losing the Pro Bowl wideout in October meant for Indy's passing game. With Wayne back in the mix alongside T.Y. Hilton and the newly signed Hakeem Nicks, the Colts are well-equipped to assault teams through the air.

It's not just the starting wave. Wayne's absence also led to increased snaps for LaVon Brazill, Griff Whalen and the intriguing Da'Rick Rogers. The Colts are deep at the position, not to mention Indy's pair of pass-catching tight ends in Coby Fleener and the returning Dwayne Allen.

Add it all up, and this passing game has the chance to make some serious noise in the AFC.


(nfl.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Sunday marks the sixth-month “anniversary” of Reggie Wayne limping off the Lucas Oil Stadium turf with a torn ACL.

It’s not an anniversary any NFL player hopes to have but Wayne’s approach to a strenuous offseason is what you would expect from a six-time Pro Bowler entering his 14th NFL season.

On Friday night, Wayne hosted a charity event to benefit the American Cancer Society and he shared his thoughts on his rehab and the 2014 season with OTAs beginning on Monday.

On if the rehab process is “easier” after going through it during his sophomore year at Miami:
“I don’t think it ever gets easy. I really believe that going through it before, it gives you perspective on what’s next. People that really never had that particular surgery don’t know what to look forward to or what’s next. I kind of already had my foot in the door. But it never gets easy. It’s always tough. Everybody knows the first three weeks is tough then you are going to plateau a little bit. Then you are going to go down and you’ve got to find a way to get yourself back up. It’s been challenging but at the same time I’ve taken it in stride.”

On what motivates him to return to the playing field:
“They say whatever you’re doing you need to find something that motivates you. I could easily say my kids, my family, my boys. When I told them I was done for the year, I could see their shoulders just sink. I could easily say that’s my motivation but that’s understood. You look outside the box. You guys (the media) are the ones that say I can’t do it. ‘You’re 35. You’re over the hill. No way I can comeback the same.’ I wasn’t a big newspaper reader but I’ve become one. Hopefully I can get you guys to kind of sing another tune and next time I read it, you can say I finally found my youth.”

On the key to having a successful rehab process:
“I think being disciplined is the main thing. You are going to have them days when you really don’t want to get out of bed and rehab but you have to be disciplined to go out there and do it. I really look at is as life. My definition of life is what happens when you expect something else. You’ve got to deal with it. I just get back and if I want to continue to play football then I’ve got to go out and grind. If I want to prove some naysayers wrong, I’ve got to get out and grind. I do understand that’s part of it. I’m excited. I feel great and hopefully they let me loose a little bit. I know they are going to hold me down a little bit, which is probably the right thing to do. But they can believe I’m that dog that keeps jumping over the fence. Hopefully they can contain me.”

On his thoughts on the 2014 Colts:
“I feel great. I’m excited. I’m excited about the team we are building. I feel like we are going in the right direction so hopefully the new additions we’ve added, get them on the same program, get everybody just going upward. We know that we are close but we still have a long way to go. Hopefully we can use this offseason to get better and better and go from there.”

On what OTAs mean to him:
“I really believe that this is the time where teams take that next step. If you take this time here and take it for granted, you take a down step. I really feel the early part of the offseason is where you get better and hopefully everybody has that same mindset and can take advantage of it.”


(colts.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne says he expects to be cleared for football activities on April 25th after tearing his ACL last October, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Wayne told Indianapolis’ 1260 WNDE that he “felt great” and that his recovery was “way ahead of schedule.” The longtime Colts receiver also said he was looking forward to playing with the team’s newest offensive weapon, Hakeem Nicks.

“I’m a fan of (Nicks). We can combine all the winning he’s done and we’ve done and come out with a nice mixture,” Wayne said. “He’s a big target, great skills, big hands … I really don’t think there are a lot of guys that can cover him.”

The Colts will look to have one of the nation’s most potent passing attacks next season with Nicks and a healthy Wayne joining T.Y. Hilton and Coby Fleener, who combined for 134 catches and 9 touchdowns in 2013.


(tracking.si.com)

The one pass Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck wished he had back last season didn’t necessarily result in an interception. It might have just been a ball that he threw behind a wide open Reggie Wayne against the Denver Broncos. Wayne turned to make a play on the ball and ended up tearing his ACL.

Colts.com recently released parts of an interview Luck had with Rich Gannon on Sirius XM NFL Blitz where he talked about the impact Wayne’s loss had on the team.

“It was tough with Reg out.  Obviously he’s (had) so much production and third downs and red zones and everything,” said Luck.  “It was a great opportunity for other guys to step up, for myself to get better as a quarterback.  Having him back is going to be awesome.”

While Wayne is healing from injury, Luck said he will be working on his footwork which should help with his accuracy.

“I think footwork, just making sure my feet are right,” said Luck.  “Pep Hamilton’s big on footwork.  Clyde Christensen, the quarterback coach, is big on getting your feet in the right place. I think that’s where all the throws start – making sure your body is in the right position.  It gives you a fighting chance.”


(fansided.com)

Colts GM Ryan Grigson said Reggie Wayne (knee) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

"From all the reports that I’ve been getting from our trainers and from the doctors in the meetings we’ve had, everyone’s going in the right direction. We’re optimistic about everyone," Grigson said. That includes Dwayne Allen (groin), Vick Ballard (knee), and LG Donald Thomas (quad). Wayne began straight-line running last month and is about four months removed from right ACL surgery.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS— As the Colts ran out of the southwest tunnel at Lucas Oil Stadium during the second half of the 2013 season, something was missing.

The chants of “Reggie, Reggie Reggie,” were faint from the north end zone.

Wayne wasn’t running to his customary end zone to acknowledge the fans reciting his name.

Instead, Wayne would head straight for the Colts sideline before positioning himself next to head coach Chuck Pagano for the National Anthem.

Following the anthem, a street-clothed Wayne would offer a final “good luck” to Pagano before watching a young Colts receivers group try and replace No. 87’s elite numbers.

Now as Wayne looks back on the 2013 campaign, he could not be prouder of what he witnessed from his position group.

“You saw that whole (wide receivers) room grow,” Wayne said on his radio show last week.

“It was good for them to see that they could go out there and play at this level, at a high level. Those guys really did a great job. I’m proud of them. They had some nicks and bruises that they played through all year.”

Wayne watched T.Y. Hilton re-write the record books for Colts receivers after two seasons.

Hilton caught 82 passes for 1,083 yards in 2013. His 10 career 100-yard receiving games are the second most after a player’s first two NFL seasons since 1970.

“T.Y. Hilton is a young player but he’s a young player that understands what it means to be a pro,” Wayne said.

“I was actually sitting down with him (last week) and we looked at the season and I told him, ‘I’m proud of you, man. You put us on your shoulders and you did your best.’ At the end of the day, that’s all that you can ask for, ask for your teammates to lay it on the line and give you everything they can give you.”

Wayne was also impressed by what he saw from LaVon Brazill, who has his locker right next to No. 87 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

Brazill had six catches for 127 yards in the playoffs, including the Colts two touchdowns in the Divisional Round loss to the Patriots.

“Being in a big game of that magnitude and being able to score two touchdowns against a good New England…I think if Brazill can just bottle that all up and just continue to save it and work on it, and work on it, then I think next year will be a breakout year for him,” Wayne said

Come training camp, Wayne is hoping to be back out there with the likes of Hilton and Brazill leading the receivers through positional drills at Anderson University.

Chuck Pagano says “you can’t put a price” on what Wayne meant to the Colts young receivers this past year.

Hilton has spoken highly of Wayne’s guidance and the pupil earns his own praise from No. 87.

“He’s going to be very good and the only thing that you can tell (Hilton) is to keep it up, get better, never stay the same and he’s one of those guys that I know will work hard each offseason, and go out there and want to be better the next year.”


(colts.com)

It’s an anniversary that Reggie Wayne doesn’t want to be celebrating but he knows brighter days are ahead. A week from Saturday will mark three months since Wayne had surgery for his torn ACL.

Wayne is looking forward to Jan. 25, as it will be the next phase in his rehab process. “I’m going to do straight ahead running (then),” Wayne said on his weekly radio show on WNDE.

“I’m looking forward to doing that. I’ve been walking quite often lately. I get to run on a treadmill and that’s basically it.” Through the early phases of Wayne’s rehab, the 13-year veteran says that he’s “ahead of schedule”.

Fantasy Impact:
It's hard to get excited about a 35 year-old WR coming off of an ACL tear, but Wayne is a pro and could return to a solid possession role in the Indianapolis offense. He's entering the final year of his contract, which means it will likely be his last year with the Colts.


(4for4.com)

Reggie Wayne is three months removed from the ACL tear that ended his 2013 season.

Wayne went down in the Colts 39-33 victory over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 20 and was placed on injured reserve.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson joined Alex Marvez and Vic Carucci on Sirius XM NFL Radio and discussed Wayne’s recovery on Tuesday night.

“He’s doing great,” Grigson said. “The first thing about Reggie was the guy refused to use crutches. He was at the (Houston) Texans game (two weeks after the injury), flew from Miami, Mr. Irsay took care of him and flew him on the plane and everything and got him there and you know the guy refused to use crutches. That’s the kind of tenacity and mindset he has in terms of getting well and he will not take a day off. He doesn’t stop grinding.”

Wayne is 35 years old and coming off a major knee injury. However, Wayne said he believes he’ll be better than he was before the injury. The player Wayne was before the injury was stellar. Wayne posted eight 1,000-yard seasons in nine years before going down in Week 7.

Grigson says he believes Wayne is using the doubt that he can return to the same level as motivation in his recovery.

“I think he loves, right now, that people might be doubting him and his age and things like that,” Grigson said. “I think he uses that to create a chip on his shoulder, which I think is great because the first thing I thought of when it happened was I looked up how many years Jerry Rice played after he got hurt and I believe it was actually eight more seasons. So I texted him that and he’s got a long way to go before he’s going to hang it up because I feel if anybody is going to be ready for training camp and ready to roll it’s going to be Reggie Wayne.”

(profootballtalk.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Lost in Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne's road to recovery from his torn ACL stands the 5-foot-10 running back with his locker right next to Wayne's. And just like the future Hall of Fame receiver, Vick Ballard is trying to regain his form from a torn ACL.

Ballard didn't need any extra motivation once his recovery started, but watching the 35-year-old Wayne grinding it out on a daily basis in his rehabilitation pushes him even harder.

"Reggie, he comes here and stays all day, gets two or three rounds of rehab in," said Ballard, who is 12 years younger than Wayne. "Once I saw him do it, I was like, 'Hell, why can't I do it, too?' When I leave here, I go home and sit on the couch, so it definitely changed my perspective on it."

Ballard, who rushed for 814 yards during his rookie season in 2012, tore his ACL while taking part in a running back's drill in practice just days before their game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

"It was very tough, especially in the big games and the big victories and stuff like that," Ballard said about missing the season. "I know I'm still part of the team, but I wanted to be sore on Monday mornings and stay late on Wednesdays, stuff like that. God had a different plan for me, so I'm just playing the cards I was dealt."

Ballard said he expects to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. He'll have an opportunity to push Trent Richardson -- and Donald Brown if he re-signs -- for snaps because nobody pulled away from the pack this season to be the clear starter next season.

"I think we had like four running backs on IR," Ballard said. "It'll be interesting to see how they handle it. But I really don't try to think about things like that. I was telling my mom the other day, she asked me what I thought, and I was like the only thing I can do is worry about my knee and let everything else handle itself."


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne is on the verge of taking the next step in his rehabilitation.

Wayne, out for the final 10 games of the season with a torn ACL, will start doing straight ahead running the week of January 25. He gave the update on his weekly radio show on WNDE 1260-AM in Indianapolis.

“Feel very good,” Wayne said on his show. “Ahead of schedule and that’s all I can ask for ... I’ve been walking quite often. That’s basically the next phase, I get to run on the treadmill.”

Wayne knows people doubt his ability to recover from ACL surgery. The 35-year-old Wayne used to let those comments fuel him, but not anymore. He doesn’t need the extra motivation.

“At one point in time in my career it would have really upset me but I’ve been hearing stuff like that so much whether I’m able to do it, can I come back from it,” Wayne said on WNDE. “I’m to the point I don’t really need that stuff to fuel me. I’m already self-motivated.”


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS— It’s an anniversary that Reggie Wayne doesn’t want to be celebrating but he knows brighter days are ahead.

A week from Saturday will mark three months since Wayne had surgery for his torn ACL.

Wayne is looking forward to Jan. 25, as it will be the next phase in his rehab process.

“I’m going to do straight ahead running (then),” Wayne said on his weekly radio show on WNDE.

“I’m looking forward to doing that. I’ve been walking quite often lately. I get to run on a treadmill and that’s basically it.”

Through the early phases of Wayne’s rehab, the 13-year veteran says that he’s “ahead of schedule”.

Head coach Chuck Pagano has echoed the same sentiments.

In the day following Wayne’s season-ending injury, Pagano addressed the media in saying there was no doubt in his mind that No. 87 would return to his old form.

On Tuesday, Wayne recalled his own feelings when trainers surrounded around him early in the fourth quarter of the Colts Oct. 20 win over Denver

“There was not a breath, anything, in my mind that said this is it,” Wayne said of his feelings when he went down.

“I feel like I still have something left to offer. I just felt like this was maybe an opportunity for my body to heal, just a weird way of doing it. In no way did I feel like this was my last hurrah."

As the extremely early preseason projections for 2014 begin to hit national websites, the common theme around the Colts receivers is “Will Reggie Wayne return to 100 percent?”

A younger Wayne would have been fuming while reading such statements but at the age of 35, he has bigger reasons to prove people wrong.

“I’m already self motivated. I have my family, my kids, who I just want to really show them that whenever adversity hits, if you put hard work into it, things will get back to the way it used to be, or things can get better,” he said.

Wayne is entering his 14th NFL offseason and one unlike any other he has had to encounter.

The Colts training room has been a frequent home for Wayne the past few months.

In order for Wayne to return to the form that puts up him in the discussion for Canton, it’s going to a busier than normal offseason.

“I’m all about rehab,” Wayne said about the upcoming months.

“It’s offseason for a lot of guys but this might be the first time in my career that I really don’t have an offseason.”


(colts.com)

Colts wide receiver isn’t sure when he’ll resume football activities after tearing the ACL in his right knee in October, but he’s sure he’ll be back on the field for the 2014 season.

Wayne says that his knee feels “great” and that rehab is “so far, so good,” which has left him with an optimistic view about how things will go once he is back on the field.

“I can tell you that Reggie Wayne, as I’m speaking in the third person, has never lacked confidence,” Wayne said, via the Indianapolis Star. “I’m very, very, very confident I will come back better than I was. One thing about this time: It was an opportunity for my body to heal up a little bit so hopefully I stole a year. We’ll go from there.”

Wayne turns 36 in November, which makes it pretty unlikely that he’s going to reach new heights when he returns from a serious knee injury. With T.Y. Hilton blossoming in Wayne’s absence this season, though, that shouldn’t be a problem for the Colts. Hilton can be the big hitter while Wayne moves into a role that calls for more reliability than explosiveness to an offense that needed such a receiver when Wayne was lost for the season.


(profootballtalk.com)

Reggie Wayne tackled the question at issue as directly as he would have run a go-route.

"Knee is great. Knee is so far, so good. It's moving forward from there," the Indianapolis Colts six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver said Monday while he and his teammates cleaned out their lockers and moved into the offseason.

Wayne tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the fourth quarter of an Oct. 20 victory over the Denver Broncos. He was placed on the injured reserve list and underwent reconstructive surgery five days later.

He declined Monday to speculate on when he will resume full football activities, but he made it clear he expects to play next season and play at, and even above, the level that has made him a 1,000-yard receiver eight of the past 10 seasons.

"I can tell you that Reggie Wayne, as I'm speaking in the third person, has never lacked confidence," he said. "I'm very, very, very confident I will come back better than I was.

"One thing about this time: It was an opportunity for my body to heal up a little bit so hopefully I stole a year. We'll go from there."

Wayne, 35, has played 196 games over 13 NFL seasons. He has made the best of his forced rest, but he has not taken the injury lying down.

"He beats the trainers here," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "I hear it all the time, that he beats those guys into the training room. He's way ahead of schedule in the rehabbing."

Wayne's season didn't end when his knee folded under him Oct. 20 because the Colts season didn't end.

"He told us: 'I'm going to be around. I'm going to be doing my rehab. I'm still going to help you out,' " second-year wide receiver T.Y. Hilton said.

Training room treatment and work in the weight room aside, Wayne has been a constant in coordinator Pep Hamilton's sessions with the offense and in the receivers meeting room, mentoring, tutoring and helping receivers coach Charlie Williams prepare the young receivers tasked with filling the gaping hole left by Wayne's absence.

Hilton, LaVon Brazill, Griff Whalen and Da'Rick Rogers all made progress, some of it remarkable.

Through it all, Wayne maintained his well-established spot in the back of the receivers room, where Hilton sits up front, eager and attentive, if not always in full grasp of the subject.

"Whenever I've got a question, I just look back," said Hilton, who caught 82 passes for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season and 17 more for 327 yards and two touchdowns in two playoff games. "He knows I've got a question. We've kind of got that thing going."

Backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been with four teams through 16 NFL seasons but he has seen few players accorded the respect Wayne quietly commands.

"Coach Pagano, he'll give the team a talk, and he's like, 'Reggie, you got anything?,' " Hasselbeck related. "Or Pep, when Reggie wasn't playing, he was traveling with us to games, and Pep would say, 'Hey, I've asked Reggie to speak tonight, to say a few words.'

"That's happened maybe three times. Rarely do you see someone have that much respect inside a locker room, in the building, really."

Wayne noticed.

"It humbles you. It really does," Wayne said. "A lot of stuff in life, just period, you take for granted but this was a time for me to sit back and appreciate. I was (placed) in a certain role or a different role than I'm used to but it was cool, man, it was fun.

"It didn't end the way we wanted it to. We know we've got a lot of work to do and hopefully next year will be a different outcome."

Wayne ranks eighth in NFL history with 1,006 receptions and 11th with 13,566 receiving yards. He is under contract through next season.


(indystar.com)mainai

INDIANAPOLIS -- Reggie Wayne was around on a regular basis.

Team meetings, constantly talking with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, in practices, joking with teammates in the locker room, on the sideline during games and even walking around the field with them during warm ups.

The only place you couldn't find the veteran receiver was on the field in uniform running routes for quarterback Andrew Luck.

But Wayne believes he'll be back out there next season. No, he's confident he'll be back playing next season after a torn ACL limited him to only seven games this season.

"I can tell you that Reggie Wayne, as I'm speaking in the third person, has never lacked confidence," Wayne said. "I'm very, very, very confident I will come back better than I was.

"One thing about this time: It was an opportunity for my body to heal up a little bit so hopefully I stole a year. We'll go from there."

Wayne -- and coach Chuck Pagano -- said from the start that the 35-year-old receiver would prove any doubters wrong who don’t believe he can return from the knee injury.

That’s why Wayne is so committed to his rehabilitation.

"He beats the trainers here," Pagano said. "I hear it all the time that he beats those guys into the training room. He's way ahead of schedule in the rehabbing."

Wayne did not give a timetable on when he’ll return to doing full football activities. He said the “knee is great. Knee is so far, so good. It’s moving forward from there.”

Wayne ranks eighth in NFL history with 1,006 receptions and 11th with 13,566 receiving yards. He traded in the catches, yards and touchdowns this season for being a hands-on mentor for the young receiving group, led by T.Y. Hilton, who stepped up to be Luck’s primary target in Wayne’s absence.

"It humbles you. It really does," Wayne said. "A lot of stuff in life, just period, you take for granted but this was a time for me to sit back and appreciate. I was [placed] in a certain role or a different role than I'm used to but it was cool, man, it was fun.

"It didn't end the way we wanted it to. We know we've got a lot of work to do and hopefully next year will be a different outcome."


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts had just finished one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, and the young man who capped it off stood in the corner of their locker room, with a neon green "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" backpack slung over his shoulders.

"I knew I was going to need a Ninja Turtle effort today, so I brought my Ninja Turtle bag," T.Y. Hilton said earnestly, with nary a touch of irony.

Hilton, the Colts’ second-year wide receiver, brings a different backpack to every game, and attaches personal meaning to each one. For instance, when he brought his Superman bag, it signified that "somebody gave Superman his cape," he said.

"It depends on the mood I’m in," Hilton said. "That’s what type of super hero I put on my back."

Hilton, 24, has delivered youthful energy and wonderment to an offense that required him to produce more after superstar Reggie Wayne, the 35-year-old veteran receiver and Hilton’s mentor, tore his right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament in Week 7.

Hilton had the finest game of his career in last Saturday’s AFC wild-card victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, who led 38-10 with 13:39 left in the third quarter. The Colts stormed back for a 45-44 victory — tied for the second-largest comeback in NFL history, and the biggest in a non-overtime game.

Hilton caught 13 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, including the 64-yarder that put the Colts up for good with 4:21 remaining in the game.

The duo of Hilton and second-year quarterback Andrew Luck is peaking as the Colts prepare for tomorrow’s divisional game at New England, which ranked 18th this season in passing yards allowed per game, but fourth in lowest completion percentage surrendered.

Colts coach Chuck Pagano dubbed Hilton "a game-wrecker," and it’s hard to dismiss that as hyperbole after Hilton’s past two games. In the regular-season finale against Jacksonville, Hilton had a career-best 155 receiving yards. It was his fifth 100-yard game this season, following five last season, when he did not start as a rookie.

Hilton, a third-round draft pick from Florida International, arrived in Indianapolis and became teammates with Wayne, who ranks eighth in NFL history in catches, 11th in receiving yards and helped the Colts win their first Super Bowl in 36 years, after the 2006 season. Hilton grew up in Miami. Thirteen miles south of Hilton’s high school, Wayne starred at the University of Miami from 1997-2000.

Hilton turned 8 years old during Wayne’s freshman year with the Hurricanes.

"I kind of was nervous at first," Hilton said of meeting Wayne. "You know, I’m in a meeting room with Reggie Wayne. After that, whenever I got a chance, I would pick his brain. Whatever I could ask him, I made sure I asked him."

From defensive tendencies to route-running techniques, Hilton sought Wayne’s advice. They developed "a big brother-little brother relationship," said receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, in his first season with the Colts.

Hilton is still very much a kid, carrying not only those backpacks, but also the name from his childhood. Hilton’s given name is Eugene, which could not sound more adult. But his parents, Tyrone and Cora, long ago nicknamed him Little T.Y., after his dad. It stuck.

Playing in Wayne’s shadow last season, Hilton had 50 catches for 861 yards, second on the team behind Wayne. Hilton ranked first with seven touchdown catches. Before Wayne’s injury this season, Hilton averaged 58 receiving yards per game. Since, he has averaged 89. In the regular season, he led the Colts in catches (82), yards (1,083) and touchdown catches (five). All the while, Heyward-Bey noticed some of Wayne’s freelancing style rubbing off on Hilton.

"T.Y. just knows how to get open," Heyward-Bey said. "That’s what Reggie does. So many guys are so by the book. They’re going to run (the route) just the same way they put it up on the diagram. But that’s not how football’s going to be. There’s going to be people in the way. (Wayne and Hilton) are really good at just knowing how to get open and catching the ball."

A receiver "can earn that" right to run a route differently than planned, said Colts backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Wayne has long since earned it. With each impact game, Hilton is earning it, too.

"I’m always freelancing," Hilton said. "You can’t be too detailed in your routes, because defenders watch film and they know how you do this or do that."

Hilton will sometimes "give you the mailbox signal," Hasselbeck said, quickly lifting his arm to form an L, in the manner of an up-turned mailbox flag, or a receiver waving to a quarterback that he is open.

"It means, like: ‘I’m gone. Forget whatever the play was. I’m gone,’ " Hasselbeck said.

However Hilton gets open, the Colts desperately needed him to do it after Wayne’s injury — a sight Hilton described as "painful." But even as Wayne went on injured reserved, he assured the Colts’ other receivers that "I’m going to be around, and I’m still going to be able to help you out," Hilton said.

So now, during the Colts’ receiver meetings, Wayne sits in the back of the room, a few rows behind Hilton, who is up front.

"Whenever I have a question, I look back," Hilton said. "And he knows that once I look back, I’ve got a question."


(nj.com)

With the first round of the NFL playoffs complete, some proCanes were sent home packing while others continue their quest for a Super Bowl ring.

With the New Orleans Saints defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, Jimmy Graham and Jon Vilma (IR) advance to the next round of the playoffs to take on the proCane-less Seattle Seahawks. Go Saints! The Eagles lost because they didn’t have any proCanes.

Two proCanes were sent home with the Kansas City Chiefs losing a thriller to the Indianapolis Colts. DL Allen Bailey and TE Richard Gordon were sent home while Reggie Wayne (IR) will continue to help his team from sidelines in their next game versus the New England Patriots who have proCane DL Vince Wilfork who is also on IR.

The San Francisco 49ers behind the solid running of proCane RB Frank Gore ended up defeating the Green Bay Packers who lost proCane DB Sam Shields in the first quarter of their defeat. The 49ers will face the Carolina Panthers who have proCane TE Greg Olsen on the field and QB Coach Ken Dorsey on the sidelines. The Packers also have scouts Glenn Cook and Alonzo Highsmith on their staff as well as Winston Moss.

The Chargers who don’t have a proCane and defeated the proCane-less Bengals (boooooring), will face the Denver Broncos with their solid proCane offensive lineman Orlando Franklin.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Reggie Wayne offered a sheepish smile when a reporter approached the injured, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver inside a euphoric Indianapolis Colts locker room after Saturday's epic 45-44 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC wild-card game.

The 35-year-old who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 20, zipped up his backpack and politely answered a question before excusing himself.

He deferred the spotlight to Andrew Luck, record-setting receiver T.Y. Hilton and his teammates. Yet others cited Wayne's role as a vital motivational coach to Luck's young receivers, contributing with words the way he long has with yards and big catches during 13 seasons in Indianapolis.

"I'm proud of how those guys never wavered, kept making plays and just found a way to get it done," Wayne told USA TODAY Sports. "They just wanted to get this playoff win.

"Talk to them, boys, they deserve it."

It took Luck's unflinching playmaking and a lot of resolve for the Colts to roar back from a 38-10 deficit 1:21 into the third quarter to cement the second biggest comeback in postseason history.

Yet Luck couldn't have done it without Hilton, Wayne's second-year protege, posting a franchise-record 13 catches for 224 yards with two touchdowns, including the 64-yard game winner with 4:21 left.

Although it wasn't Wayne catching the passes, his impact was felt on the offense.

"Reggie's been on injured reserve, didn't necessarily have to be helpful or be around. But he spoke to the offense Friday night about his feelings and perspective on playoff football," backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "Reggie and T.Y. are very, very close. And T.Y. has had to step up to be that go-to guy for us.

"Having Reggie there to share some of that load has been very helpful."

Hilton, a third-round pick in 2012, had 82 catches for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns this season as he helped fill the void left by Wayne. He has 24 catches for 379 yards the past two games as the Colts head into next weekend's divisional round riding a four-game win streak.

"I can't put a price tag on it," Pagano said during Sunday's conference call referencing Wayne's influence. "For him to come into this building day after day going through the circumstance that he went through … he spends more time here than anybody between rehabbing, going to meetings, staying with the offense, then mentoring those guys.

"It's meant the world to all of us, especially those young guys. They should be forever in debt to Reggie Wayne."

Wayne's injury ended his consecutive games streak at 189, the third longest for a receiver in league history. He has 1,006 catches for 13,566 yards for his career, and 92 receptions in the postseason for 1,242 yards.

Hilton's play Saturday was reminiscent of Wayne's, especially when he split safeties Kendrick Lewis and Quintin Demps to track Luck's 64-yard winning strike with 4:21 left as Lucas Oil Stadium erupted in a raucous roar.

"He has helped me a lot," Hilton said of Wayne. "He helps all of us in the receiving group.

"We all came in and made big plays. One thing Reggie told us: 'When your number is called, make sure you're ready.' We all stepped up and made plays in our own special way."

Wayne has tutored a young receiving group of Hilton, Darrius Heyward-Bey, LaVon Brazill, Griff Whalen and Da'Rick Rogers on opposing defensive back tendencies. And he knows just when to provide a pep talk.

"One thing he told us before the game even started and at halftime, 'Hey, leave it out on the field,'" Hilton said. "That's what we all did. We're all dead tired right now."

And yet they never felt more elated.


(usatoday.com)

The 8-5 Indianapolis Colts have looked vulnerable of late, and much of that can be contributed to the loss of Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

Wayne tore his ACL and Meniscus in a non-contact injury in a Week 7 win against the Denver Broncos. The injury is a major hurdle for the potential Hall of Fame wide out, as the seriousness of the injury, coupled with his age (36), represents a difficult path of return.

According to Dan Hanzus of NFL.com, Wayne is "ahead of schedule," and hopes to be "full throttle" in slightly over 4 months. In a separate conversation with 1260-AM, Wayne had the following to say in regard to his time-table:

"I doubt I'll participate (in OTAs)," Wayne said on Tuesday. "I got to do it right. Training camp is the goal."

The Colts are fresh off a 42-28 loss to Cincinnati that saw their defense allow 430-yards of total offense. The secondary has been decimated by injuries, most notably the lingering groin injury of  cornerback Gregory Toler.

Toler has missed seven straight games, but will likely to test his tender groin in the warm and sheltered confines of Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday against division rival (is this still considered a rivalry?) Houston.

Wayne will be needed on the sidelines for more than just motivation, as the 13-year veteran will factor into the "coaching up" of certain players, primarily wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers. Wayne has been pleased with his progress, and has stated that he will assist with his growth in any capacity.

With wide receiver T.Y. Hilton struggling to separate against the increased amount of defensive attention, any contributions from Wayne will be a welcome addition. For now, Wayne is rehabilitating in Miami, and is taking the necessary steps to ensure a healthy and satisfying 2014 season.


(sportsinjuryalert.com)

While his Indianapolis Colts teammates chase a first-round bye, Reggie Wayne is going about the business of getting back to full health.

The veteran wide receiver recently underwent a checkup in Miami and was told he was ahead of schedule as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.

Wayne expects to start running in a month and a half, and he hopes to go "full throttle" in four and a half months. It's an aggressive timetable that could have Wayne ready for the start of training camp in July.

"I doubt I'll participate (in OTAs)," Wayne told 1260-AM in Indianapolis on Tuesday. "I got to do it right. Training camp is the goal."

Wayne tore his ACL and meniscus during the fourth quarter of a Week 7 win over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 20. The non-contact injury is a major career hurdle for Wayne, who will turn 36 during the 2014 season.

The Colts have struggled to fill Wayne's void in the offense. T.Y. Hilton has slumped in the face of increased double-team coverage, though Wayne praised the progress of Da'Rick Rogers, who caught two touchdowns on Sunday.


(nfl.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts aren't the same team without Reggie Wayne.

In the five games since Wayne tore his right ACL against the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis is averaging 19.6 points. In the seven games Wayne played, the Colts averaged 26.7 points.

The offensive line has failed to protect quarterback Andrew Luck. T.Y. Hilton, the new No. 1 receiver, is adjusting to being double teamed, and the other receivers haven't made up the difference.

Indy's offense hit rock bottom in a 38-8 loss to St. Louis on Nov. 10 and a 40-11 loss at Arizona on Nov. 24.

Though the group hasn't looked like the one that derailed Denver earlier this season, Indianapolis has won three of five since Wayne's injury. Indianapolis (8-4) can wrap up the AFC South title with a victory Sunday at Cincinnati.

"As of late, we've been like the Rocky Balboa of the National Football League," Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. "We get bloodied up, but we find a way to finish on top."

It's questionable whether that approach will work in the playoffs. The Colts have been particularly bad in the first half. In the five games without Wayne, Indianapolis has scored 24 points before halftime. The Colts have scored 75 points after the break in those games.

"We have our moments where we're hot and we're able to move the ball and we're able to score touchdowns," Hamilton said. "We've got to make it a point of emphasis, as we always have, to find a way to get started a lot faster."

Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was supposed to fill some of Wayne's productivity, has struggled with drops. Despite starting four of five games since Wayne's injury, Heyward-Bey has just nine catches for 96 yards during that stretch.

Heyward-Bey's troubles are starting to affect Hilton's production. In the first two games after Wayne's injury, Hilton caught 14 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. In the next three games, he caught 15 passes for 128 yards and no scores. With no other viable outside threat, teams are more focused on Hilton.

Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck (12) is sacked by Tennessee Titans' Kamerion Wimbley (95) and Derrick Morgan (91) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

"T.Y. is still a very effective receiver for us," Hamilton said. "They've started to double-team him more. I've got to do a better job of moving T.Y. around and making sure we find creative ways to get him in space."

Luck has tried to compensate for Wayne's absence at times by holding the ball too long. He has been sacked 14 times in the past five games after being sacked 15 times in the first seven.

Before Wayne's injury, Luck was completing 61 percent of his passes and had 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions. Since the injury, he's completing 55 percent with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Luck accepts his share of the blame for the way the offense has played.

"Oh yeah, I make my fair share of mistakes," Luck said. "It might not be as obvious to the common fan. Drops happen. Holdings happen. Pass interference happens. Not that it's ever excusable, but it's part of human error, part of playing any sport and doing anything I think."

The running game has struggled so much that the Colts finally made Donald Brown the starting running back over Trent Richardson this past Sunday.
Even with all the criticism, the Colts are coming off a 22-14 win over the Titans that put them in control of the AFC South. The Colts didn't score a touchdown against the Titans until Brown reached the end zone with 1:56 remaining, yet they were in position to win.

"Again, we're never going to apologize for winning no matter how you get it done," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "Ugly, whatever you want to call it, a win is a win. It was critical. We all know the magnitude of that ball game. It was a game we had to get the win and get it done."

Brown's late touchdown run against Tennessee capped an 11-play, 92-yard drive and left the Titans in desperation mode. It was a preview of what the Colts hope to accomplish for the rest of the season.

"When you look at it, by the time you get to the fourth quarter of games, defenses are worn down a bit," Hamilton said. "That's what we're built for. We're built for the fourth quarter of the football season where defenses are tired and worn and playing with guys that are a bit hobbled and it's not as easy to take on double team blocks. That's our formula."


(therepublic.com)

It hasn't been an easy season for Trent Richardson.

Since being acquired by Indianapolis in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, the second-year pro plodded to the tune of 2.8 yards per carry before the Colts benched him in favor of Donald Brown last week.

Indy's front office has said it wouldn't hesitate swapping a first-round draft pick all over again for Richardson. And it's fair to wonder if a full offseason will help this player, especially after Richardson told Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne he felt thrown into the fire after the swap.

"He came to me, (but) he wasn't pouting or anything," Wayne told WNDE-AM on Tuesday, per StampedeBlue.com. "This was the next day after he found out he was demoted, and he said, 'Now I can sit back and actually watch the way it's supposed to be done.' He kind of feels that he was maybe forced into it early without actually learning it."

Yes, Richardson was thrust into a starting role just days after the trade. Yes, he came from a Rob Chudzinski-led offense in Cleveland that stressed the pass and bore little resemblance to offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton's power-rushing scheme in Indy. Still, that was three months ago, and we have yet to see signs that Richardson is about to morph into a sustaining back.

Prepare yourself for a long offseason of flowery reports declaring that "Trent Richardson looks amazing in OTAs." For a guy who has produced rushing totals of 20, 2, 22, 15 and 19 yards on the ground over the past five games, we'll need more than lively springtime reports of T-Rich blooming into what Indy hoped for.


(nfl.com)

INDIANAPOLIS— When Reggie Wayne went down with an ACL injury on Oct. 20, he would soon have a decision to make.

Would the 13-year veteran elect to do his rehab around the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center?

Or, would he relocate away from the complex with his season on the playing field over?

The predicament wasn’t difficult to Wayne.

“I love just being in that locker room, being part of a winning atmosphere,” Wayne said on the Query & Schultz show earlier this week.

“Actually being around the guys, helps me through this troubling time of being injured. It’s fun. The guys keep me laughing every day.”

Similar to other Colts players rehabbing season ending injuries, Wayne has a fine balance between his time in the treatment room and trying to instill his wisdom into the young receivers.

Wayne joked that this period of time is a bit of a rehearsal on whether or not coaching could be in his future once his playing career has commenced.

“I got double duty if you look at it that way,” Wayne said of his rehab and film study. “To a certain extent, I still prepare like I were playing. I like to feel like I’m a starter. That’s what I’ve been used to for the last 13 years. I try my best to make as much meeting time as I can as well as getting my treatment in at the same time. It’s long days for me but what I can I do.”

Come Sunday, Wayne will once again be down on the sideline trying to dissect plays and offer assistance to the Colts receiving corps.

With 28 years of experience between guys like Wayne and Matt Hasselbeck, the Colts coaching staff has a few more minds to turn to during the heat of competition.

“I see everything. It’s a different feel,” Wayne said of being on the sidelines. “When you are out there playing it’s 100 miles per hour. You have to think ASAP. On the sidelines, you can kind of look to the guy beside you and say, ‘Look what he’s doing.’ When you are out there playing, you can’t do that. It’s a whole different perspective and it really makes you appreciate the game a little bit more.

“I use it to the best of my advantage to help those guys out. We all put our minds together on the sideline and try to find another play that will work.”

When Wayne re-signed with the Colts in the 2012 offseason, the new regime was not only getting one of the game’s top receivers but also a mentor to a young skill position group.

It’s watching those players grow up on a daily basis that has Wayne eager to get to the complex every morning.

Wayne considers himself a fan in some cases, just sitting back and watching his fellow receivers ask questions in an effort to become elite.

“These guys in the meeting room every day want to be part of the action,” Wayne said. “They want to be part of it and do their best to make themselves household names. I see it every day and I give them as much as I possibly can because I want those guys to succeed.

“I guess as Colts fans you can kind of see what you have in the future and I respect that. I love to see those guys go out and do the best that they can. As a teammate, that’s all you can ask for. I’m hoping that those guys continue to stay healthy and put the work in each week like they’ve been doing. I’m sure great things are going to continue to happen for them.”

On Tuesday night, Andrew Luck joined Wayne on the Query & Schultz radio show.

Luck took the first segment himself, with Wayne stuck in traffic, but the signal caller was briefly interrupted by the crowd’s cheer early in the show.

It was Wayne entering the building and the love from the fans is something that the Pro Bowler holds in high regard.

“The fans have been outstanding. I’ve been reading on my website, reading the newspapers and just even around town people at a red light, showing me how much support they have in me and the Colts, telling me they can’t wait to see me back out there,” Wayne said.

“Believe it or not, they’ve inspired me even more to go out there and return back to the team in better form. So I’d like to take a shout out to all the fans. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. It’s been awesome.”


(colts.com)

At 5-9, 178 pounds with sub-4.4 second 40-yard speed, T.Y. Hilton has the look and skill set of the prototypical NFL slot receiver. Summon the image of Wes Welker, if you will.

So interim Indianapolis Colts coach Bruce Arians raised some eyebrows last season when he was asked if Hilton has what it takes to be a No. 1 receiver.

“I think a solid No. 1,” Arians responded. “I do, which is surprising, because when we drafted him we thought he was just a kick returner.”

Arians, now head coach at Arizona, spoke on the eve of the 10th game of Hilton’s rookie season. The Colts will play the 10th game of the 2013 season Thursday night in an AFC South showdown at Tennessee.

T.Y. Hilton is their No. 1 receiver.

That it’s probably temporary and it comes by default — due to a season-ending knee injury to longstanding No. 1 Reggie Wayne — in no way diminishes Hilton’s qualifications or performance. In the two games since Wayne went down, Hilton has caught 14 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

Those are regal numbers arriving at record pace. Project them over a 16-game season and you have 112 receptions for 2,008 yards and 24 touchdowns.
The problem is that Hilton prospers alone.

Quarterback Andrew Luck’s passer rating when throwing to Hilton over those two games is 152.1 (158.3 is a “perfect” rating). Luck’s rating while throwing to the other receivers and tight end Coby Fleener is 52.6. Therein lie many of the offense’s difficulties during the 27-24 escape at Houston and the 38-8 splattering by St. Louis.

For all Hilton’s high achievement and the increase in passes to the running backs, the void opened by Wayne’s absence still gapes. The Colts are getting precious little from Darrius Heyward-Bey, Griff Whalen and LaVon Brazill, and not much more from Fleener.

“Losing a guy like Reggie, you can’t replace a guy like that, not only his leadership qualities but his production, obviously, on the field,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “Guys have been pressed into action and they’ve got to respond.

“We’re seeing glimpses of what those guys can do, but they got to step up even further. They’ve got to raise their level of play.”

Heyward-Bey is the Colts’ 2013 version of their rent-a-receiver of a year ago, Donnie Avery. Both brought impressive speed. Both have proven to be inconsistent and uninspired. Heyward-Bey’s numbers since Wayne was lost are 12 targets, four catches, 41 yards, no touchdowns.

Whalen is an undrafted free agent who last year missed his entire rookie season with a broken foot. Brazill is a talented second-year player who has yet to make a dent. His unreliability caused the Colts to remove him from the return game last year and to favor Whalen this year. Whalen has played 87 snaps the past two games, Brazill 48.

Whalen and Brazill, who was suspended for the first four games this year for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, not only had played a mere handful of game snaps before Wayne’s injury, they were getting few practice reps. They have been asked to come a long way fast, as has Da’Rick Rogers, a rookie signed from the practice to the active roster this week.

As Whalen pointed out, the receivers aren’t the only ones scrambling to make adjustments. Receivers coach Charlie Williams has to cope. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has to devise a game plan. Luck has to figure out how his new principals run routes, where they are going to be and when, and where to put the football.

“It takes a little time just to get into the game flow,” Whalen said. “We’ve been practicing all year but to do it in games, get the call, execute it under the time crunch when the bullets are flying, it’s a little different.”

Colts safety Antoine Bethea stressed that everyone has to step up when a player like Wayne goes down. Defensive end Cory Redding echoed Bethea. Redding said defense and special teams have to grab some slack.

They haven’t done that. The defense has struggled, special teams have struggled, everyone has struggled, none more than the offensive line.

The Colts yielded a single touchdown longer than 40 yards over their first seven games. They have given up six the past two games: passes of 62, 41, 57 and 81 yards, a punt return of 98 yards and a 45-yard fumble return after a strip-sack. A receiving group critically thin in experience and achievement can’t begin to cover that.

As Hilton said, “There is no replacing Reggie. We can get that out there right now,” but someone beside Hilton had better begin contributing. Hilton already is seeing the coverage roll his way.

“It’s been much different,” he said. “You know they’re going to start trying to take me out of the game. I know they’re going to start doubling me, tripling me, trying to take me out.

“Guys have got to step up and make plays.”


(jconline.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts injured receiver Reggie Wayne didn’t go to Houston just to surprise his teammates the night before their game against the Texans.

Wayne also provided an extra set of eyes for offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

“In between series, I would pass over the pictures and ask his opinion,” Hamilton said. “And, of course, during the series he had a job. His job was to watch their slot coverage and give myself and [quarterback] Andrew [Luck] feedback.”

Wayne’s season – his 13th – ended when he tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of their victory over Denver on Oct. 20.

Sunday was the first time Wayne had been around his teammates since he had his surgery. The plan is for him to be around the team and take part in meetings as much as possible during his rehabilitation. Coach Chuck Pagano said last week that they anticipate Wayne to be ready for the start of the 2014 season.

“Reggie, he loves this game,” Hamilton said. “He loves the horseshoe and it’s awesome that he’ll still be around even under the circumstances.”


(espn.com)

Something will be different when the Colts play Houston on Sunday night.

For the first time since Dec. 27, 1998, the Colts will take the field without either Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison in the lineup. That’s 251 games, including the playoffs, with either No. 87 or No. 88 — or both — on the field.

Wayne’s streak of 189 regular-season appearances, 207 including the postseason, will end Sunday due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee suffered against Denver.

Harrison’s final season with the Colts was in 2008; appearing in 190 regular-season games during his 13-year career. The last time the Colts’ offense was without Wayne or Harrison was the final game of the ’98 season against Carolina. Harrison missed the final four games that season with a shoulder injury and Wayne was drafted in 2001.

Like the team as a whole, long-time assistant Clyde Christensen still is trying to come to grips with life without Wayne.

“I hear people asking Andrew (Luck) how it’s going to be without Reggie,” Christensen said with a smile. “Well, how about me? This is the first time I’ve been in the (meeting) room without Reggie.

“Believe me, it’s different. He was such a security blanket.”

Christensen arrived in 2002 as a member of Tony Dungy’s staff. He worked exclusively with the receivers from 2002-09.


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- The road to recovery has officially started for Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.

Wayne, out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, had his surgery conducted by Dr. John Uribe late last week.

“Uneventful as they usually say,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “So everything came out great. He’s in good spirits, rehabbing three times a day, grinding it out as we would all expect. He’s doing well.”

Wayne will rehabilitate in Florida for the time being until he’s able to travel.

“He’ll be back here eventually, as soon as they let him,” Pagano said.

ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell said last week that most players take 6-to-9 months to recover from a torn ACL. `

Wayne’s consecutive games played streak ends at 189, and his 2013 season -- the 13th of his career -- ends with 38 catches for 503 yards and two touchdowns.


(espn.com)

Colts coach Chuck Pagano has had a close relationship with receiver Reggie Wayne since Pagano was a University of Miami assistant and Wayne was a Hurricanes player, and Pagano got a little emotional when describing his feeling about losing Wayne to a severe knee injury.

Pagano reflected on the way Wayne wore orange gloves to show his support during Pagano’s battle with leukemia last year, and now Pagano said he’s going to be the one supporting Wayne as he tries to get back to health.

“I think everybody has heard by now and knows that Reggie suffered an ACL tear. He’ll be lost for the season,” Pagano said. “We hate to lose anybody, but this one stings. See, you just don’t replace guys like 87. Again, we hate to lose anybody, but he’ll be back. I know how he’s wired. I know what his DNA is. I know how he is as a man. Everybody is going to say no way, but after the conversation I just had with him, just wait and see. So, we’ll all put on the gloves for Reggie and we’ll help him get through this and get him back.”

Although Wayne won’t play until 2014, Pagano said he wants Wayne to continue to be a team leader.

“He’s going to be there. He’ll miss, he’s going to have to go have something done surgically but I told him whether it’s on a stretcher, wheelchair, if we have to carry him in and out, he’ll be there every step of the way,” Pagano said.

Pagano said he tells young players that if they want to have a long career, Wayne is the man they should emulate.

“He’s a pro through and through,” Pagano said. “It’s easy for those young guys because I told them just get in his hip pocket and follow and do exactly what he does on a daily basis. You want to stick around for a long time? You want to be productive? You want to write your own legacy? You want to be a guy in the National Football League and not an also-ran, not just a guy that collects a paycheck and stuck around for a couple years. You want to be a guy? Then just do exactly what Reggie does. From a leadership standpoint, mentoring standpoint, all those kind of things, it’s off the charts. He’s not the only one. We got a locker room full of guys like that. So, that’s why it’s so important. In talking to him, he’ll be away and have to get that thing fixed, but he’s going to be with us every step of the way and he’s got to be right next to us.”

A torn ACL is a tough injury to rehabilitate from, and Wayne, who will turn 35 next month, may never get back the same kind of speed and explosiveness he once had. But Pagano says he’s certain that he’ll be coaching Wayne again next season.


(profootballtalk.com)

Sunday night's emphatic victory over the Denver Broncos came with a steep price tag for the Indianapolis Colts.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Reggie Wayne tore his ACL along with his meniscus, according to a source who spoke with the player. The 34-year-old's season is over.

Wayne suffered a non-contact injury to his right knee during the fourth quarter of Indy's 39-33 win over Denver. The Colts' worst fears were realized, and coach Chuck Pagano said the loss "stings" when he confirmed the news Monday.

Stripping Wayne from the passing attack leaves the Colts without their most reliable target. He leads the team in receptions (38) and yards (503) and has been an anchor for young quarterback Andrew Luck. T.Y. Hilton is an ascendant talent, and Darrius Heyward-Bey played a larger role against Denver, but the other wideouts on the roster are just LaVon Brazill and David Reed.

Good teams find a way to overcome injuries and, if we learned anything Sunday night, it's that Indy is a good -- if not a great -- force in the AFC South.


(nfl.com)

All that’s missing, implied Reggie Wayne, were clowns and parading elephants and the sound of a kaleidoscope in the background as the media encircled his cubicle in the Colts locker room.

“It’s like Ringling Bros., man,” Wayne said. “Y’all turning this into a circus.”

It’s Peyton Manning Week. The return to where it all began in April 1998 — and ended in March 2012 — for the NFL’s only four-time Most Valuable Player and the most decorated and revered player in the Colts’ 30-year history in Indianapolis.

Wayne, not nearly as loquacious as is his norm, shrugged. Often.

“It’ll be just like any other game. No different,” he said of the return of the quarterback who threw the ball on 779 of his 1,001 catches. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.

“We see it as another game. You guys see it a little bit different. It’s another game, man.”

But it’s a reunion of epic proportions. The team will honor Manning’s return with a ceremony prior to kickoff. Former standouts and Ring of Honor inductees Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James are expected to participate. A video tribute has been produced.

The extent of Manning’s involvement, if any considering he always has been adamant about sticking to his pre-game routine, remains to be seen.

“That’s Peyton’s deal,” Wayne said. “I hope I’m in the locker room. I want to be in the locker room.”

Wayne and Manning formed a close bondduring their 11 years together and Wayne said they still talk and text. “It’s not like I hadn’t spoken to him since he’s left,” Wayne added.

Throughout his 10-minute session with the media, Wayne expressed his appreciation of and affection for his former quarterback. But he refused to dive in headfirst when the line of questioning inevitably found itself back to Manning’s return.

What is the atmosphere going to be like Sunday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium?

“You’ve got to ask people in the stands,’’ Wayne said. “(With) all the pub and the media, yeah, it’s going to be different. I don’t see this many people unless it’s a playoff game.”

Will it be awkward facing your friend and former teammate?

“It’s not awkward for me at all. It doesn’t change my intensity,” Wayne said. “The awkward part is with people in the stands. That’s for them.

“I go through this every week. There’s somebody I play every week that I used to play with. Am I grateful for having him as a teammate? Absolutely. We’ve done a lot together. But I did a lot of stuff with Edgerrin James, and we played against him. I did a lot of stuff with Mike Peterson, and we played against him.”

As unique as the reunion is, it — as Wayne notes — is one tailored more to the Colts as an organization and the city of Indianapolis than the teammates Manning left behind. Only 13 players on the Colts’ 53-man active roster actually were teammates of Manning.

“My first time playing against him and I’ve never met him,” cornerback Vontae Davis said. “It’s a game. That’s how I look at it.”

Greg Toler faced Manning in 2009 while he was a cornerback with the Arizona Cardinals, and met him during a recent offseason.

“At Larry Fitzgerald’s camp or Donald Driver’s camp,” Toler said. “But, no, I don’t have any emotional ties at all. I understand how it might be (more) with Reggie or a few other guys. Over the years they had some ups and down. This week it’s like they’ll be playing against a brother. And Robert (Mathis) as well having a chance to tackle Peyton.

“Maybe it’s an emotional roller coaster for some, but it’s just football.I’ll pay homage. He’s a great player. You can’t take anything away from what he’s done. You pay your respects and move on.”


(thestarpress.com)

The Indianapolis Colts will be rolling back the NFL clock Sunday.

Not only is Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning returning to face his former team for the first time, but longtime teammates Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James will be there at Lucas Oil Stadium to welcome him back, a celebratory reunion of the Big Three.

“It’s going to be really exciting,” Colts owner Jim Irsay told The Times. “Edgerrin and Marvin are coming in, they’re fired up to come back in. Talked to those guys and it’s going to be exciting to have those guys come in. We were such a close-knit group, those teams that were in the late '90s through the whole decade.”

James, a first-round pick in 1999, won the NFL rushing title in each of his first two seasons, and left Indianapolis in 2006 as the Colts’ all-time leading rusher with 9,226 yards. He was given an honorary Super Bowl ring, even though he played for Arizona the year Indianapolis won it all.

Harrison, a first-rounder in 1996, played 13 seasons with the Colts and in 2006 became the fourth receiver in league history with 1,000 career catches. There are now nine of those, with Indianapolis receiver Reggie Wayne joining that elite group Monday night. 

A three-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection who retired after the 2008 season, Harrison set a league record with 143 receptions in 2002.
James was inducted into the Colts' ring of honor in 2012, and Harrison was inducted in August.

“The only disappointment is not to have won another championship or two,” Irsay said. “That’s something that we want to chase in this new era.”


(latimes.com)

It will be very difficult to keep Colts receiver Reggie Wayne out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Only eight other men have reached the milestone Wayne passed on Monday night. Wayne got the 1,000th reception of his career against the Chargers.

The other eight players in the 1,000-catch club: Jerry Rice, Tony Gonzalez, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce and Hines Ward. That's quite the list.

While Rice's 1,549 catches is probably out of reach, Wayne should have a good shot at getting to at least third place on the list before he retires. Gonzalez is second with 1,275, but Wayne's former teammate Harrison is third at 1,102. Wayne, who is 34, had 106 receptions last season and has 33 through six games this season. The way Wayne is playing, passing Gonzalez for second place all-time might not even be entirely out of the question


(yahoo.com)

The top catches of Reggie Wayne’s Colts career:

vs. Green Bay, Oct. 7, 2012: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne crosses the goal line to score the winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining in the Colts' 30-27 victory.
Andrew Luck: "I remember the effort after the catch being the spectacular thing. The wherewithal. He's not going to get his body in the end zone. He knew he needed a millimeter of the nose of the football to cross the goal line and he got a millimeter-plus across the goal line. It was amazing.''

at Houston, Oct. 5, 2008: Reggie Wayne makes a 5-yard TD catch from Peyton Manning with 1:54 to play to cap 31-27 comeback. He beat CB Jacques Reeves with a one-handed catch in the left corner of the end zone and kept his feet inbounds.
Peyton Manning: "One-handed, back-shoulder (pass) to win the game. Just a great, great catch.''

vs. Green Bay, Oct. 7, 2012: 12-yard pass from Luck on the game-winning fourth-quarter drive despite tight coverage by Packers CB Tramon Williams.
Luck: "That's my favorite catch. Reggie was in the slot. The corner (Williams) sort of read (the route). He knows the corner's there. The ball's coming literally right at the corner and Reggie put his hands (through the corner) and catches it in front of the corner and brings it right into his body. Gets up, shakes his head and smiles. That was amazing."

at Jacksonville, Dec. 17, 2009: Reggie Wayne hauls in a 65-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning in front of Jaguars safety Reggie Nelson on a third-and-5 play with 5:33 to play in a 35-31 victory.

vs. New England, Nov. 15, 2009: Winning 1-yard TD catch from Manning with 13 seconds remaining following Bill Belichick's infamous failed fourth-and-2. Wayne appeared to catch the back third of the football on Manning's low fastball.
Manning: "That slant in the back of the end zone. It was a great route, a great catch against tight coverage. Certainly considering the situation, the timing, that made it even better.''

AFC title game vs. New England, Jan. 21, 2007: 14-yard reception from Manning on the winning drive in the fourth quarter. At the end of the play, Wayne lost control of the football while surrounded by several Patriots, but managed to reach up and grab it.
Manning: "Maybe you give him credit for two catches. He caught a little 5-yard 'in' route; that play we always ran. He was always so good about catching it and getting down field, just barreling through linebackers and safeties. On that play, he made a move and the ball came out. I give him credit for a second catch because he went up there and caught it again amongst about five Patriots . . . (Tedy) Bruschi, (Asante) Samuel, all of 'em. I can remember time standing still for a minute considering the situation.''

vs. Houston, Dec. 22, 2011: Wayne catches the winning touchdown against Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson in a 19-16 victory.

vs. Denver in AFC wild card game, Jan. 9, 2005: 49-yard reception from Manning despite being interfered with by Broncos CB Roc Alexander.
Tony Dungy: "They called pass interference and Reggie caught it with one hand. The reason it was my favorite is because I didn't even say, 'Wow!' It was just like, 'OK, Reggie caught the ball with one hand' and you move on to the next play. That's what I had come to expect."

Super Bowl XLI vs. Chicago, Feb. 4, 2007: 53-yard TD from Manning in the first quarter. Postseason catches don't count on a player's all-time stats, but Wayne burned the Bears on the NFL's biggest stage.
Manning: "Reggie and I had what we called a 16-yard 'in'-pump. We were trying to get cover-2 and the safety drives on the 'in' route and Reggie goes by him. (The Bears) busted the coverage and Reggie ended up being really wide open. Reggie and I have always been convinced that even had they not blown the coverage, that route was going to work. So, we're sticking with that."


(indystar.com)

Reggie Wayne caught six balls for 65 yards and a two-point conversion in the Colts' Week 5 win over Seattle.

The Colts are now 4-1, with their lone loss coming against the Dolphins. Wayne shook off two early-game drops to make plays in Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond III's coverage, mostly avoiding LCB Richard Sherman. The Colts' leader in targets and one of the top route runners in football, Wayne has been a stable, consistent WR2 through five weeks. He'll be a borderline WR1 play against the Chargers' weak secondary and pass rush in Week 6.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — Each afternoon at training camp, Reggie Wayne trots over to the JUGS machine, sheds the pads and begins his post-practice magic show.

Teammates watch in awe seeing a 13-year veteran still spending this much time day after day, catching ball after blazing ball in the scorching summer heat. They’re even more impressed as Wayne hauls in the mechanical fastballs with one hand or two, inches off the turf, near his head or coming straight into his chest. Few, if any, touch the ground.

It doesn’t take the players long to figure out why Wayne makes spectacular plays look so routine on game days. He’s already done it thousands of times on the practice field.

“He’s always been that guy,” Redskins receiver and college teammate Santana Moss said. “When we first came in as freshmen, Reggie Wayne, we knew, was our guy. He started right off the bat. We always said he could catch a BB in the dark. The best hands I’ve ever seen.”

While some might debate where Wayne belongs among today’s greats, there’s no quibbling with Moss’ broader point.

Wayne has been one of the game’s best receivers for at least a decade and, at age 34, the six-time Pro Bowler shows no signs of slowing down. He’s Andrew Luck’s favorite target, still the Colts’ leader in the clubhouse, and needs only 10 more receptions to become the ninth member of the NFL’s 1,000-catch club. It could happen Sunday against Seattle with a big performance.

But Wayne’s value to the Colts cannot be measured in numbers alone.

Inside the locker room, teammates universally describe him as a pro’s pro, the guy willing to sacrifice anything to win. This summer, Luck dubbed Wayne the team’s “real” president. Just this week, longtime teammate and close friend Antoine Bethea acknowledged younger players would be “fools” not to learn from Wayne.

Wayne is so beloved in the Indianapolis community that if he’s not the city’s favorite Reggie, he’s certainly No. 2 behind former Pacers star Reggie Miller.

And Wayne is so committed to this team and this city, he turned down a bigger payday and a chance to team up with an old college pal, Houston’s Andre Johnson. Instead, he chose to help restore the luster to a Colts team that had gone 2-14, cut Peyton Manning and seemed miles away from Super Bowl contention. Somehow, he helped the Colts make a historic turnaround and get right back to the playoffs.

“Reggie showed us how to work. He showed us how to be professionals, sort of how to play football at a high level,” Luck said. “(He) always made sure we were on the right path. He’s not the most talkative guy, but if he had something to say, he’d say it and everybody listened. He commanded everybody’s respect, I think also demanded it in return. We would be nowhere without him. I really believe that.”

Never afraid to show outward emotions, Wayne wore red, white and blue shoes for the 2011 season opener — a tribute to America on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He risked a league fine by wearing orange gloves, the color of leukemia awareness, after longtime friend and Colts coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with cancer. He fought through the grief of his brother’s death in September 2006 by simply asking teammates to pray for his family.

And he fought back tears when his hometown of New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, then throughout Pagano’s battle.

“The things he does, like the orange gloves, it just shows that he’s human, that he’s just like everybody else,” Bethea said.

Off the field, he is like everyone else. On it, few can compare. Wayne’s resume looks like this:
—Two Super Bowl appearances and one ring;
—204 consecutive games played since 2001;
—One of six NFL players with four 100-catch seasons;
—Part of the second-most prolific passing tandem in league history, with 779 receptions for 10,602 yards and 67 TDs from Peyton Manning, second only to

Manning and Marvin Harrsion;
—130 regular-season wins, fourth on the Colts list behind Manning (142), John Unitas and Jeff Saturday (132).
—About to join the likes of Jerry Rice, Tony Gonzalez, Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Harrison in the 1,000-catch club, with a chance to finish his career with Harrison as the most prolific receiving teammates in league history;
—A chance to crack the top 10 in yards receiving and the top 15 in touchdown catches.

What does it mean to a workaholic like Wayne?

“That I’ve been playing a long time. It means I’m doing my job. I just want to be able to do my job,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, I want to be where I’m supposed to be, get there on time, and help this ball club win games. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I first got here.”

But Wayne stills finds ways to have fun — with a message.

One year, he showed up at training camp in a cement truck and kept a custom-made construction helmet inside his locker to symbolize what the Colts needed to do to reach the Super Bowl.

Last year, he drove to training camp with members of the National Guard, signifying the need for the Colts to stick together like brothers in arms.

This year, he arrived on Indiana University Health’s LifeLine helicopter along with Matt Sercer, a Colts fan who climbed out months after doctors told him he may never walk again after severely injuring his leg and foot in a farming accident. Wayne said Sercer’s improbable recovery should inspire the Colts to dream big.

There’s no real secret to his success, though.

“His work ethic, his passion for the game, his love for football, team first, self second, none of that has changed,” said Pagano who was on the University of Miami staff when Moss and Wayne arrived as freshman. “Since I’ve known Reggie (Wayne), he’s been that same guy. The only thing that’s changed is his level of play. He’s just gotten better over the years. It’s not by chance. It’s by choice.”

Harrison used to say, “They pay you to practice, you play the games for free.” It’s a motto Wayne took to heart and has continued to pass down.

A year ago, when the Colts were one of the youngest teams in the NFL, the JUGS machine was a lonely place after practice.

But day by day as Wayne continued to catch passes, the number of young receivers watching and participating increased. By the end of camp, they were all waiting for Wayne to finish so they could take a turn. Now, they’re just waiting to see Wayne take his place among the league’s all-time greats.

“I’ve been around a lot of great players, but he’s got to be front and center,” four-time Super Bowl winner Adam Vinatieri said. “He never takes a day off. He never misses a practice. He’s a guy you can always count on for 100 percent effort every single day of his life.”


(washingtonpost.com)

Reggie Wayne caught five balls for 100 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' Week 4 win over Jacksonville.

He was targeted a team-high 11 times. Through four weeks, Wayne is on pace for 88 catches, 1,200 yards, and eight TDs. Although the Colts' lack of passing-game volume will likely cap Wayne's WR1 potential, he's squarely in the mix as an every-week WR2. Start Wayne against Seattle in Week 5; he plays frequently in the slot and should avoid Richard Sherman's shadow for most of the snaps.


(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne wakes up, climbs out of bed and doesn’t feel like his body has aged to the point where he needs to even contemplate how long he plans to continue his career.

"As soon as I start waking up on a consistent basis and my bones crack and ache and I put that window in there, that’s the day I should probably stop playing," Wayne said. "I’m just taking it one year at a time. I feel good now."

All you have to do is show up for a training-camp practice and you’ll see the 34-year-old Wayne still on the field after some of his teammates have left for the day and he’s catching passes – low, high, one-handed – perfecting his craft on the Jugs machine. Wayne said during training camp that he prepares each offseason as if he's competing for a roster spot. That goes back to his days at the University of Miami, where you had to remain healthy and productive to ensure you stayed on the field.

"It was kind of mandated that the only way you came out of the game was if you got a bone showing [through the skin]," Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was with Wayne in Miami, said. "Otherwise you stay in and play."

Wayne is humble enough not to say he’s the leader of the team. But he is one of the leaders based off how his younger teammates look up to him.

“I won’t say I set the standard,” Wayne said. “I’m not the only guy who practices hard. We have quite a few guys who do that. They may look at me because I’ve played longer, but we have quite a few guys who bust their tails each day. I was doing the same things back in my Miami days, way back then. That’s what got me going. It’s something you have to take pride in, and not everybody wants to go out there every day. You have to be disciplined to go out there and fight.”

Wayne isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He has appeared in 185 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the league, according to Elias Sports Bureau, and he’s 15 catches shy of 1,000 for his career.

“Not really,” Pagano said when asked if he’s surprised Wayne is still playing at high level. “I’m screaming at him from the sidelines in those couple catch-and-runs [against San Francisco]. We talk about run after catch. That doesn’t apply to Reggie. I’m screaming to get down, self-preservation. That’s just the type of player he is. He doesn’t know any better.”

Wayne added, "I say it all the time, out of all the accolades I have, the one that means so much to me is being able to be out there every game day."

Wayne has 17 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown this season. He’s still the team’s No. 1 receiver but the days of having to shoulder the load should lessen now that the Colts have a legitimate rushing attack with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw (when he returns from his neck injury).

“I’m in my 13th year, I’m not worried about my numbers,” Wayne said. “All I want to do is win.”


(espn.com)

proCane Texans WR Andre Johnson (80)

Bears proCane KR Devin Hester (23)

proCane Falcons P Mat Bosher

proCane Colts WR Reggie Wayne (87)

proCane Browns WR Travis Benjamin (80)

proCane Cardinals DE Calais Campbell (93)

Reggie Wayne’s second season was the first one in Indianapolis for Tony Dungy. 

The coach with a defensive pedigree was joining a Colts team blossoming with offensive talent.  A knock on his door by a young player is something that sticks with Dungy to this day.

“I remember in 2002 when I joined the Colts, Reggie came to me and said he felt he could contribute more than he did as a rookie,” said Dungy.  “He wanted to be part of a receiver group that would help us win.  He worked with that in mind and never stopped working.”

Wayne came armed that day with 27 NFL receptions and no touchdowns to his name.  With Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison already taking their place among the game’s greatest duos, Wayne was not going to be a young talent left behind.

He embarked on six consecutive seasons with increased reception totals, becoming only the third NFL player ever to do so.

As he lines up Sunday, Wayne (980 receptions, 13,205 yards, 79 TDs) needs one scoring reception to become the 11th NFL player to reach both 13,000 career yards and 80 touchdown snares.  Three on that list – Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Steve Largent – have busts at the Hall of Fame.
 Players with 13,000 yards and not 80 TDs:  James Lofton* (14,004), Henry Ellard (13,777), Torry Holt (13,382)

Players with 80 TDs and not 13,000 yards:  Don Hutson* (99), Don Maynard* (88), Lance Alworth* (85), Hines Ward (85), Paul Warfield* (85), Andre Rison (84), Tommy McDonald* (84), Irving Fryar (84), Mark Clayton (84), Antonio Gates (83), Art Powell (81).
*Pro Football Hall of Fame

“He’s what an NFL Hall of Famer is, in my opinion,” said Antoine Bethea.  “He’s what every guy coming into this league wants to be.  He’s going to be one of 11 to reach that milestone.”

Tom Moore was around Hall-of-Famers Lynn Swann (click here for acrobatic moment) and John Stallworth (click here for Super Bowl TD reception) in Pittsburgh, and a man who provides praise only when it is earned has effusive regard for Wayne.

“He is just a great athlete,” said Moore.  “The biggest thing about Reggie is the amount of time, effort and work he has put in to get better and to develop his skills.  He is a very special person.  He is unbelievable, the hardest working football player you will ever meet.”

Practice observers are treated to Wayne snaring one-handed catch-after-catch from the ‘jugs’ machine that spits footballs out at a rapid clip.  Practice viewers see things daily that fans only see on Sundays when Wayne (click here for great catch) makes such catches.

“You watch the game and it’s, ‘Man, that’s a spectacular catch.’  Then you watch him in practice, he does that every day,” said Bethea.  “The work ethic he puts in is special.  You don’t see that every day.  Every organization really doesn’t have the honor of saying it has that type of leader.”

Wayne’s reception chronology from 2001-07 went:  27-49-68-77-83-86-104.  Since, he has topped 100 receptions three more times (100, 2009; 111, 2010; 106, 2012), one shy of the NFL record of Wes Welker.

His 1,355 yards in 2012 represented his sixth career 1,200-yard season, tying him for third-most ever.  Wayne’s eight receptions last week against Oakland extended his NFL record to 64 straight games with three or more receptions.

Wayne’s (click here for highlight) workman-like approach outshines any fanfare, though he is a fan favorite.  The Colts are 29-12 in his 100-yard games, 56-13 when he scores a touchdown, and his seven seasons leading the team in receptions rank behind a Hall-of-Famer (Raymond Berry) and a future one (Marvin Harrison) for third in franchise history.

“If you talked to him, you’d never know it.  He’s not a cocky person,” said Bethea.  “He’s not big-headed.  He just comes to work and does what he needs to do. 

“You can see how he plays on Sunday and works every day, it’s easy for him.  The way he plays on Sunday is a result of hard work and natural ability.”

Count Cory Redding as a former adversary who now regards Wayne as a comrade.

“That’s a huge deal, an accomplishment that he will reach.  He deserves it,” said Redding.  “He works his butt off every single day.  I’ve seen it, and I admired it from afar. 

“Watching him every day at training camp on the jugs machine, going through his routes and how he prepares, it’s no shock to me what he does.  There’s no better person who deserves it more than him.”

The sentiments Redding expresses are matched by one of the game’s winningest coaches and an even more sincere individual.

“It will be an awesome accomplishment when Reggie Wayne joins that group.  It’s certainly elite company, but he deserves to be there,” said Dungy.  “He’s gotten there by not only talent, but hard work.  He was a leader in showing younger receivers what they needed to do to succeed in the NFL. 

“He’s still playing at that high bar he set in 2002 and 2003.  I appreciated his toughness and work ethic, and for not wanting to miss game or practice time.  He was so dependable.  He was a joy to coach.  It couldn’t be more deserved.  I could not be more proud of any person.”


(colts.com)

Antoine Bethea has praised Indianapolis Colts teammate Reggie Wayne's work ethic.

The wide receiver could become the 11th person in NFL history to score 80 touchdowns and record over 13,000 receiving yards in their career when the Colts face the Miami Dolphins today.

The safety told the team's official website: "You watch the game and it's, 'man, that's a spectacular catch'. Then you watch him in practice, he does that every day.

"The work ethic he puts in is special. You don't see that every day. Every organisation really doesn't have the honor of saying it has that type of leader.

"He's what an NFL Hall of Famer is, in my opinion. He's what every guy coming into this league wants to be. He's going to be one of 11 to reach that milestone."

Wayne, who was drafted by the Colts in 2001, has 13,159 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns in his 13-season career.


(sportsmole.co.uk)

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne extended his NFL record to 65 consecutive games with at least three receptions. Wayne finished with eight catches for 96 yards and one touchdown. That's a solid start toward the possibility of another season with 100 catches and 1,000 yards receiving.

Wayne has had 1,000 yards in eight of the last nine seasons, missing by 40 yards in 2011 when the Colts used three different quarterbacks. Wayne's 1,355 yards receiving in Andrew Luck's first season last year was identical to the 1,355 yards Wayne had in Peyton Manning's final healthy season with the Colts in 2010.

Wayne praised Luck after the game.

“He plays better than the average second-year quarterback,” Wayne said. “He inspires everybody in the huddle. Nothing seems to get him down, even when they took the lead. We went out there and he said, 'This is going to be the drive. This is going to be the drive to win the game right here.' He's always confident and knows what he can do with his ability.”

Wayne has caught at least one pass in 113 straight games.


(news-sentinel.com)

Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne passed Steve Largent for No. 13 on the NFL's career list for yards receiving with his performance against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 8. Wayne, who had eight catches for 96 yards, now has 13,159 yards. Largent had 13,089.



(kffl.com)

Reggie Wayne caught eight balls for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' Week 1 win over Oakland.

Wayne was fantastic, getting open at will on crossing routes and gashing the Raiders' defense with chain-moving receptions. Although Wayne is not the explosive player he once was, he has an obvious knack for getting open and remains Andrew Luck's go-to guy. He'll be a borderline WR1 in Week 2 against Miami.


(rotoworld.com)

At 34, Reggie Wayne is only 1,518 yards away (or two mediocre seasons) from surpassing Marvin Harrison as the alltime receiving leader in Colts’ history. But he plans on catching passes from the fun-loving Andrew Luck much farther into the future

ROBERT KLEMKO: Someone in the Colts organization asked you how long want to keep playing and you said, “Infinity years.” At 34, do you realistically think you could still be playing five years from now?
REGGIE WAYNE: As long as these legs keep me upright. As long as I continue to feel good, I’m going to keep playing. I don’t have no mark on it or a timetable, I’m just going to keep playing the game. The day I feel like I cant get any separation, that’ll be it.

KLEMKO: What’s the difference between Andrew Luck and all the other quarterbacks you’ve played with?
WAYNE: In practice, he has fun, he’s not totally serious. It’s almost like a grown man in a Pee Wee league. He just likes to have fun. He’s laughing, he’s joking, he’s into it. That’s what I like about him. He makes me want to go out there and have fun. So whenever you see your leader like that, that’s what you want.”

KLEMKO: How do you assess Luck’s command of the playbook in Year 2?
WAYNE: This is the offense he ran in college, so he knows it like the back of his hand, better than last year’s offense. He can maneuver guys, move them around, tell them what they’re supposed to do when they’re unsure. He knows how to pick up the blitzes and the protections to put everybody in. He’s already ahead of the curve. Everybody needs to catch up with him this time. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but we’re lucky that we got his offensive coordinator from college.


(mmqb.com)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck still believes that veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne is the leader of his side's offense.

Luck replaced Peyton Manning at the Colts last season and put in an impressive rookie season as he guided the team to the playoffs before they were eliminated in the Wild Card round to the Baltimore Ravens.

"I still defer to Reggie Wayne as the leader of our offense," Luck told ESPN. "But I think as a quarterback there's a natural progression of leadership, the older you get.

"I definitely feel more inclined this year to share my opinion if I feel like it's necessary, or to talk in front of the guys, or what have you. As a quarterback you assume a natural leadership role."

Indianapolis open their regular season against the Cleveland Browns on September 8.

(sportsmole.co.uk)

Reggie Wayne caught seven balls for 79 yards in the Colts' third preseason game Saturday night.
Wayne told reporters in June he was "still trying to figure out" new OC Pep Hamilton's offense. He's got a good grip, alright. Through three preseason affairs, 34-year-old Wayne has 11 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown, continuing to be Andrew Luck's clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Wayne is worth fantasy-draft consideration beginning in the fourth round of standard leagues. He's likely to have a better PPR year due to declining big-play ability.


(rotoworld.com)

For a few seconds during a preseason game, Pep Hamilton forgot he was the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator.

He joined the Reggie Wayne fan club.

Hamilton’s brief role adjustment occurred during the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. From the left slot, Wayne moved into the flat, reached back for a pass from Andrew Luck that was slightly behind him snatched it with his right hand.

The result was a 3-yard gain. The degree of difficulty was off the charts.

“It’s funny,” Hamilton said Wednesday, recalling the play. “I try to not watch our play. I’m focusing on the defense and we’ve got to be ready as coaches to make adjustments on the fly.

SEE REGGIE WAYNE’S CATCHES HERE

“But I caught myself just a moment. I was somewhat in awe of the one-handed catch and I wasn’t really focused on the next play call, and I had to just gather my thoughts quickly and move on to the next play.”

Three plays later, another Wayne highlight.

Giants cornerback Aaron Ross failed to secure an interception near the goal line and batted the ball behind him. Wayne was waiting. He tipped the ball with his right hand, turned, then made a diving catch near the right side of the end zone.

Asked to rate the two catches against the Giants, Wayne shrugged.

“Just so so,” he said.

Hamilton disagreed, especially on the touchdown.

“That was a great play,” Hamilton said. “I think Reggie Wayne is a living legend in a sense that you don’t have the career he’s had up to this point and consistently display the ability to make the great catches over the years without having a special intuitive gift.

“It’s like he can see the rotation of the ball. Everything’s slow to Reggie as far as how the game is played. He always finds a way to make the catch regardless of where the ball is.”

Luck insisted he has never taken for granted Wayne’s ability to make the tough catches.

“Those catches are special,” he said of Wayne’s work against the Giants. “Just because they happen — it seems over and over again now — it doesn’t make it lose its luster. I guess you do sort of come to expect it from those guys.

“I still get excited. I don’t know if it makes me look good or bad. It’s still a completion. That’s what matters.”


(thestarpress.com)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne made a sick one-handed catch on a screen pass during the first quarter of the Colts-Giants preseason game Sunday night. 

He followed it up just a few minutes later with a juggling touchdown catch on a pass that should have been picked off by defensive back Aaron Ross.

ANDERSON, Ind. — Wide receiver Reggie Wayne said this morning the Indianapolis Colts won’t sneak up on anybody this season.

He believes some opponents might have underestimated the young team with a rookie quarterback and an interim head coach a year ago.

But just because teams will see the Colts coming this time around doesn’t mean Wayne feels like the team has a target on its chest.

“I wouldn’t say we’re the hunted just yet,” he told the media after Friday’s morning walkthrough. “But we’re somewhere in the field, and that’s cool.”

Indianapolis infamously began last season ranked No. 32 in The Associated Press power rankings. This time around, the Colts start at No. 10. But some onlookers retain doubts about the team’s ability to repeat its surprising success without the emotion of last season.

Wayne made it clear he and his teammates still aren’t interested in outside opinions.

“As a team, we feel like we are contenders,” he said. “We don’t let USA Today determine that.”


(heraldbulletin.com)

ANDERSON — In the blink of an eye, Griff Whalen made his coach eat his words.

Asked earlier this week how the second-year receiver out of Stanford was fitting into the Indianapolis Colts’ new offense, coach Chuck Pagano didn’t hesitate.
“I don’t know if he ever drops a pass,” he said.

A day or so later, Whalen ran a crossing route against light coverage and ... flat dropped a pass.

“That’s gonna happen,” shrugged Reggie Wayne, the second-leading receiver in club history and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. “You just hope it doesn’t happen too often or at the wrong time.”

Sunday, Wayne had a pass squirt through his hands. A few plays later, he uncharacteristically suffered another drop. He took out his frustration on the football, walking over to it and kicking it.

“Receivers who drop passes are just like a defensive back who gets beat,” Wayne said. “You’ve got to have amnesia. You’re gonna drop one every once in a while.”

“It’s almost always a lack of concentration,” Whalen said.

Wayne’s routine includes several minutes with the Jugs machine after each practice. He has the person running the Jugs alternate the direction of the passes: high, low, to the left, to the right.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, who brought a reputation of dropping too many passes with him to the Colts from Oakland, also spends time snatching footballs spit out by the Jugs.

Yet drops crop up. No different than an offensive lineman flinching on a false start or a defensive lineman being penalized for encroachment.

Quarterback Andrew Luck insisted he’s not the type to get in a receiver’s face when one of his passes hits the turf.

“From Pop Warner to high school, college, the NFL, it’s part of the game,” he said, adding a receiver has had occasion to gripe when one of his passes sails high or into the ground.

“If I did (berate someone), I’d be disappointed with myself.”

Charting dropped passes is a subjective venture. Was it catchable? Was it tipped? Did the defensive back jar the ball loose?

Two premium websites, for instance, don’t agree on the number of passes dropped by Colts receivers in 2012. Pro Football Focus charged them with a league-high 50. Stats Pass had them with 36, tied for seventh-most.

“You can’t worry about how the league or someone else charts them,” said Wayne. “If it’s a bang-bang play, they can’t really tell if a guy got his hand in the way.

“But I know in my own mind. I don’t need someone telling me.”

According to Stats Pass, Wayne dropped nine passes last season. That was a team high, but he was targeted 195 times, a drop rate of 4.6 percent. The league average was 8.0 percent.

By contrast, Donnie Avery dropped 5.6 percent of the passes thrown to him (7-of-124) and Hilton 6.7 (6-of-90).

Despite reports to the contrary, Heyward-Bey is in the midst of a solid camp. He is attempting to put distance between himself and the reputation he acquired in Oakland as a receiver with too many drops, and gain the trust of Luck.

“When he throws it up there, you got to come down with the ball,” Heyward-Bey said. “That’s what a quarterback looks for and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Heyward-Bey dealt with revolving coaches, coordinators and quarterbacks during his four years with the Raiders. And with his consistency. From 2009-12, Stats Pass had him dropping 6.7 percent of the passes thrown to him (20-of-300). But after a shaky rookie season (6-of-40, 15 percent), it’s 5.4 (14-of-260).
Wayne has dropped 4.1 percent of his opportunities (27-of-651) during that same stretch. Wes Welker’s rate over the past four seasons is 5.4 percent (34-of-633).

Wayne wagged his head back and forth.

“I don’t feel like there’s a ball I can’t catch if it touches my hands,” he said. “Some guys will say, ‘It’s out of my reach’ or ‘It’s off my fingertips.’

“Hey, if it touches these phalanges, I’ve got to bring it in some kind of way. Andrew will be like, ‘My bad. Bad ball.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’ve got to come up with that.’ You know the ones you are capable of catching.’’


(indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Colt star wideout Reggie Wayne has made Indianapolis his home, and not only at Lucas Oil Stadium, but his annual 'Saving our Youth" charity basketball game at the Summer Celebration is a good example of giving back.

His celebrity turnout certainly backs it up. Wayne was joined by a handful of his Colts’ teammates like T.Y. Hilton, Antoine Bethea and Vick Ballard. 

Pacers’ Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson as well as NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins were also on hand to help out as coaches. 

"For me, it's about going out there, run up and down the court, get a little sweat going. This is always my introduction to camp,” said Wayne. “I just like to go out there and watch everybody else live their hoop dreams.”

In the end, Wayne’s team won by over 20, but he says the real winners are the youth. 

“Seeing everybody smile, have fun, laugh, that's what it's about,” said Wayne. “Seeing those young kids look at us, people they idolize on TV every day, just seeing them smile when they ask for autographs."

"It's a great weekend, especially an event to raise money for our youth,” said Bethea. “That's the most important thing is doing things for our future.”

Reggie Wayne hosts charity basketball game

(wishtv.com)

Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne are the headliners among wide receivers in the AFC South.

They are prominent in the most-recent round of research by Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus.

Boiled down, Clay attempts to find something more telling than red zone numbers. Why? Well, over the past five seasons, catches at the 16-yard line resulted in touchdowns 4.6 percent of the time and catches at the 21-yard line resulted in touchdowns 4.0 percent of the time.

If that 5-yard difference is minimal, why should we expect a catch at the 16 to be more productive than a catch at the 21?

“[T]here’s no reason we should be using an arbitrary number to weight what does and doesn’t count as a ‘scoring opportunity,’” Clay writes. “... Should a wide receiver screen to Randall Cobb from the 19-yard line really be valued the same as a quick slant to Calvin Johnson at the 2-yard line? Of course not. But, if you’re referencing [red zone] data, that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

So Clay calculates oTD -- opportunity-adjusted touchdowns.

Brandon Marshall of Chicago was the best receiver (and overall player) in oTD in 2012 at 12.0. Given the same hands and same quarterback as everyone else, he’d be expected to score 12 touchdowns based on his catches. He scored 11.

Wayne’s oTD was 9.9. That means based on where he was catching the ball, he “should” have had 4.9 more touchdowns than the four he scored.

Johnson’s oTD was 4.8. That means based on where he was catching the ball, his five touchdown catches were right in line with his expected touchdown catches.

Johnson's expected touchdowns should be the same, if not higher, than Wayne's, I would think.

What were the biggest differences between the two?

Johnson’s average distance from the end zone on his targets was 49.7, significantly higher than Wayne’s 44.2. And Johnson was only targeted in the end zone six times, where he caught just one pass, while Wayne was targeted 16 times in the end zone and caught four touchdowns there.

We already tied into the Texans and the issue of throwing into the end zone.

Here is further evidence they could be trying to do more with Johnson in the end zone.


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Reggie Wayne was back in Indianapolis on Wednesday putting names with faces, getting acclimated to about three dozen more new teammates, working with another new offensive coordinator and, yes, learning a new offense all over again.

"The last few years my main focus on Day 1 has been just getting to know my teammates, getting to know their names, getting to figure out where everybody comes from and then going into the playbook because at the end of the day, you are out there with them and they are out there with you and you are doing whatever you got to do for each other. So I think it would be bad to go out there and not know the guy next to you, his first and last name," Wayne said.

"It has been a challenge, but I'm getting it done. It's a little new to me still, but it's cool."

From 2002 through 2011, Wayne didn't have to endure anything like this.

Peyton Manning was the starting quarterback, the offense was never overhauled and the roster was laden with veterans the Colts drafted, developed and kept. Back then, the expectations rarely changed.But after neck surgery shelved Manning for the 2011 season, Indianapolis completely rebuilt.

Since last showing up in the Colts' locker room following a playoff loss to Baltimore in January, Wayne has lost another old friend, Dwight Freeney, who left for San Diego. Nine veteran free agents have joined the roster along with seven draftees and new coordinator Pep Hamilton, who took over after Bruce Arians accepted the head coaching job in Arizona. Hamilton called the plays for Andrew Luck at Stanford and now both are trying to teach the system to the rest of the Colts, including Luck.

"Reggie looks great," Luck said after Wednesday's practice. "Reggie's going to look great in whatever offense you put him in. If it's the spread or whatever that crazy A-11 thing was in high school a couple of years ago, whether it's backyard football, any sport. He's the type of guy that stands out. He's just an athlete. He knows how to play. He'll be great. He always is."

That's why the Colts have rarely balked when the 34-year-old Wayne takes his offseason workouts on the road.

Traditionally, Wayne has spent the offseason like many former Hurricane players -- sweating in the South Florida heat. Each year, Wayne returns in exceptional shape and has been incredibly productive for a receiver his age. He's had four 100-catch seasons in the last six years and has topped the 1,000-yard mark every year since 2004, missing by just 40 yards in 2011 when Manning did not play. Last summer, he even brought Luck to his home base to teach him what it takes to excel in the NFL.

Apparently, it worked as the Colts rebounded from a 2-14 season to go 11-5 and reach the playoffs with one of the biggest turnarounds in league history.

"I went to the University of Miami, man. We didn't cheat. We did everything the right way," Wayne said. "So we just go take it one day at a time. I'm sure he's in there and when he gets a better idea of some things, he'll kind of help us out a little bit."

He plans to be around for next week's mandatory minicamp, and then he'll head back to Miami where he'll continue to work out until training camp begins in late July.

"I think we're rolling. I think we'll definitely take advantage of the rest of the OTAs [offseason team activities] and what we have left, but mandatory minicamp will be big for us," Wayne said, noting that he learned the difference between mandatory and voluntary at Miami, too. "It'll be nice to be out there and really get going. It's been positive, productive so far. Hopefully we can finish this segment up well and go into the next one with some momentum."


(espn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Wayne feels young again.

The 34-year-old receiver with six Pro Bowl appearances was back in Indianapolis on Wednesday putting names with faces, getting acclimated to about three dozen more new teammates, working with another new offensive coordinator and, yes, learning a new offense all over again.

Hey, at least he knows who the quarterback is at first glance.

"The last few years my main focus on day one has been just getting to know my teammates, getting to know their names, getting to figure out where everybody comes from and then going into the playbook because at the end of the day, you are out there with them and they are out there with you and you are doing whatever you got to do for each other. So I think it would be bad to go out there and not know the guy next to you, his first and last name," Wayne said. "It has been a challenge, but I'm getting it done. It's a little new to me still, but it's cool."



From 2002 through 2011, Wayne didn't have to endure anything like this.

Peyton Manning was the starting quarterback, the offense was never overhauled and the roster was laden with veterans who the Colts drafted, developed and kept. Back then, the expectations rarely changed.

But after neck surgery shelved Manning for the entire 2011 season, Indianapolis completely rebuilt.

Longtime leaders such as Manning, Gary Brackett, Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday were let go. Coach Jim Caldwell and Bill Polian, the architect of Indy's decade of success, were fired and suddenly last year Wayne was starting over.

Now things are new again.

Since last showing up in the Colts' locker room following a playoff loss to Baltimore in January, Wayne has lost another old friend, Dwight Freeney, who left for San Diego. Nine veteran free agents have joined the roster along with seven draftees and new coordinator Pep Hamilton, who took over after Bruce Arians accepted the head coaching job in Arizona. Hamilton called the plays for Andrew Luck at Stanford and now both are trying to teach the system to the rest of the Colts, including Luck.

So far, Wayne has seemed right at home.

"Reggie looks great," Luck said after Wednesday's practice. "Reggie's going to look great in whatever offense you put him in. If it's the spread or whatever that crazy A-11 thing was in high school a couple of years ago, whether it's backyard football, any sport. He's the type of guy that stands out. He's just an athlete. He knows how to play. He'll be great. He always is."

That's why the Colts have rarely balked when Wayne takes his offseason workouts on the road.

Traditionally, Wayne has spent the offseason like many former Hurricane players — sweating in the South Florida heat. Each year, Wayne returns in exceptional shape and has been incredibly productive for a receiver his age. He's had four 100-catch seasons in the last six years and has topped the 1,000-yard mark every year since 2004, missing by just 40 yards in 2011 when Manning did not play. Last summer, he even brought Luck to his home base to teach him what it takes to excel in the NFL.

Apparently, it worked as the Colts rebounded from a 2-14 season to go 11-5 and reach the playoffs with one of the biggest turnarounds in league history.
This time, Luck is the teacher and Wayne the pupil who is learning on the run. He's not even asking for Luck's help yet.

"I went to the University of Miami, man. We didn't cheat. We did everything the right way," Wayne said. "So we just go take it one day at a time. I'm sure he's in there and when he gets a better idea of some things, he'll kind of help us out a little bit."

For now, Wayne will try to figure it out himself.

He plans to be around for next week's mandatory mini-camp, and then he'll head back to Miami where he'll continue to work out until training camp begins in late July.

"I think we're rolling. I think we'll definitely take advantage of the rest of the OTAs (offseason team activities) and what we have left, but mandatory minicamp will be big for us," Wayne said, noting that he learned the difference between mandatory and voluntary at Miami, too. "It'll be nice to be out there and really get going. It's been positive, productive so far. Hopefully we can finish this segment up well and go into the next one with some momentum."


(therepublic.com)

With Peyton Manning out of the picture, nobody knew what to expect from Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season with Andrew Luck taking over under center as a rookie, but the wide receiver looked just like his old self as he finished the year with 106 catches for 1,355 yards and five touchdowns.  Now that Luck has a season of experience under his belt, expectations will be high once again for Wayne heading into the 2013 season and even at 34 years of age–there’s no reason why Wayne shouldn’t be able to post big numbers once again.

One of the best things about Wayne is he’s been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league throughout his career as  he’s recorded at least 1,100 receiving yards in seven of his last nine seasons. Many expected Wayne’s numbers to decline for at least the 2012 season and he and Luck adjusted to playing together, but that was obviously far from the case as the duo played a key factor in helping Indianapolis make a playoff run–which nobody expected.

With the type of numbers he’s displayed over his career, there’s no reason why Wayne shouldn’t come through once again next year and as scary as it sounds–the Colts could be even better than they were in 2012. Of course, whether or not that actually happens may rely heavily on what type of production they receive from Wayne–which should be good assuming he manages to stay healthy.


(rantsports.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A man charged with auto theft for stealing Reggie's Wayne's Bentley and driving drunk was sentenced Thursday.

Gunner Belcher pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated and criminal conversion. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 58 days suspended, and two days served.

He will be on probation for 363 days.

According to a police report, Belcher was pulled over and tried to stop the vehicle in the middle of the road. Police say he smelled of alcohol and told officers he was Indianapolis Colts' Reggie Wayne's "cousin by marriage."

The next morning, Wayne attempted to pick up his Bentley from the Westin Hotel when he was informed that valet staff had no idea where the Bentley was.

The car was later returned to Wayne.


(wishtv.com)

Colts receiver Reggie Wayne will turn 35 this season, and he’s hoping to add his name to the short list of players who have had 1,000 receiving yards while old enough to be president.

Wayne told the Indianapolis Star that he has the list of all players who have managed that feat — 12 players have topped 1,000 yards at age 35 or older, a total of 16 times — and he plans to join that select group in 2013.

“I’m going to put that list in my locker,” he said. “I strive off that. That’s what fuels me, motivates me. Not everybody can do that.”

Last year Wayne had 1,355 receiving yards, which was the second-best total ever for a 34-year-old — second only to his old teammate Marvin Harrison, who had 1,366 receiving yards the year he was 34. If Wayne were to equal last year’s total this year, it would be the best season ever for a 35-year-old receiver, topping Irving Fryar’s total of 1,316 yards in 1997, when he was 35.

Wayne needs several good years to top Jerry Rice for the crown of the best receiver ever after the age of 35, but we already know Rice was a freak of nature: Rice tore his ACL in Week One of the season when he turned 35, and not only did he return the next year to go over 1,000 yards at age 36, but he also had 1,000-yard seasons in the years when he turned 39 and 40, and 800-yard seasons in the years when he was 37, 38 and 41.

We’ll probably never see another receiver do what Rice did and gain 6,480 yards after his 35th birthday. But Wayne doesn’t look like he’s slowing down as he closes in on 35.


(profootballtalk.com)

Reggie Wayne fully expects to play through the duration of his contract, which expires after the 2014 season.

This season, Wayne is aiming to become the 13th receiver to ever record 1,000 yards or more at age 35-plus. It shouldn't be a problem. Although he hasn't topped 12.8 YPC in any of the last four campaigns, Wayne's precise route-running led to 106 catches for 1,355 yards and five touchdowns last year. The apple of Andrew Luck's eye, he tied for second in the entire league with 194 targets. Wayne isn't a sexy pick, but he's on the WR2 radar.


(rotoworld.com)

Reggie Wayne relaxed in front of his locker room cubicle, occasionally dabbing at perspiration on his face from the Indianapolis Colts’ latest offseason work.
He held a couple of sheets of paper in his hand. His eyes scanned the list of names, and he pointed to this one (Jerry Rice), that one (Joey Galloway) and yet another (Jimmy Smith).

Motivation comes in different forms.

At least a portion of Wayne’s motivation heading into his 13th season is the exclusive list of NFL receivers who have compiled at least 1,000 yards at age 35. It will be within arm’s length the rest of the year.

“I’m going to put that list in my locker,” he said. “I strive off that.

“That’s what fuels me, motivates me. Not everybody can do that.”

The 1,000-yard mark has been breached only 16 times by 12 players 35 years or older. The trailblazing list includes Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (on three occasions), Cris Carter and James Lofton.

Wayne turns 35 in November. He’s on the downside of a career teeming with Pro Bowl selections (six), receptions (968), yards (13,063) and touchdowns (78).
But at a time when many begin showing signs of the aging process, Wayne refuses to yield. He fully intends to play at his established high level through the duration of his contract, which expires after the 2014 season.

Backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been around Wayne for only a few days this offseason, but he has a firm understanding of Wayne’s pedigree.
“Around the league there is a real healthy respect for what he has done and the level he’s still at,” Hasselbeck said.

“It said a lot when he decided to come back.”

Wayne became a free agent after the Colts’ 2-14 season in 2011. After exploring his options and considering at least one offer that was more lucrative than what the Colts had on the table, Wayne accepted the Colts’ three-year, $17.5 million deal.

“It surprised everyone around the league,” Hasselbeck said. “He had a lot of pride in what he had already helped build here and he wanted to see that through even though it was a new regime.”

To do so, though, required Wayne to remain committed and motivated.

As it did when the Colts selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2001 draft, the end result can be traced to how Wayne attacks the offseason.

“I still train the same way I did as a rookie,” he said.

It began in Miami in mid-March. Up at 6:30 in the morning, four days a week, for two hours of pushing his body.

Wayne is in town this week for the start of the team’s on-field work but plans to return to south Florida and follow his own agenda. At some point, quarterback Andrew Luck, receiver T.Y. Hilton and a few others are expected to join Wayne in Miami for a few days of concentrated passing drills.

Wayne has been one of the Colts’ most durable players. He has missed only three of a possible 192 regular-season games, all during his rookie season. He leads active receivers with 182 consecutive games played and consecutive 161 starts.

Preparation has been key. So have been lessons gleaned from watching former teammate Marvin Harrison.

“The name of this game is longevity,” Wayne said. “There were times I would see Marvin catch a pass and take a nose dive. I was like, ‘What are you doing? You’ve got 3 more yards (to get).’

“But if you sit back and think about it, that’s a lot less hits he’s taking. You’ve got to pick your battles.”

So, Wayne has. He’s aiming to join that short list of aging receivers who’ve defied Father Time and put up big numbers.

“There are some special guys on that list,” he said. “That’s why I want to keep that list in my locker.

“I want to compare myself to those guys.”


(indystar.com)

Regardless of how you may personally feel about homosexuality and homosexuals in general, the reality is we are living in very transformative times.
The right to be openly and proudly gay has always been inalienable. The greater U.S. population accepting that right is a different story. In recent years however, more and more people have grown to accept openly gay individuals as colleagues, friends, and family members.

With the historic news released on Monday that current NBA player Jason Collins is gay, having openly admitted his sexual orientation to Sports Illustrated, a firestorm of debate has erupted across all media. In general, most people working in media, or working as high-level executives in leagues like the NFL and the NHL, have come out in support of Collins. Several professional athletes have also expressed their support as well.

One of those pro athletes that's in Collins' corner: Colts veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne. When asked about Collins' decision to come out by an ESPN producer, Wayne responded (via Tom James' Twitter handle):

Wayne was asked about Jason Collins. Says that doesn't know him but supports his decision. Says it wouldnt be a problem in Colts locker room

On a personal note, it's outstanding to see a veteran NFL star like Wayne come out in support of Collin's decision. It's also great to hear him say that if one of his teammates were gay, the team would have no issue.

Leadership, folks.

Open-minded, all-inclusive leadership.

Also, it just makes good common sense.

I mean, forget how you feel personally for a moment: Do we fans honestly care if someone on the Colts roster is gay? As long as the guy can tackle, sack, punt, kick, catch, run, and/or throw, who cares who he likes to sleep with in his spare time?

None of my business. None of anyone's.

Also, if someone like Wayne is saying that a gay teammate wouldn't be a problem in the Colts locker room, that's a not-so-subtle message to anyone who would have a problem with it to basically STFU.

If you want me to explain why it's such a big deal for an active player like Collins to openly come out, I can only offer this: For years, I've watched close friends and family members privately express fear to me that if their loved ones or employers found out they were gay, they'd be retaliated against. For someone of my upbringing, I always found it disgusting that anyone would attack someone else simply for being gay, or black, or a woman, or a gay black woman.

With Collins admitting his sexual orientation, and with professional athletes like Wayne publicly supporting that decision, it makes it that much harder for bigots and homophobes to retaliate against people simply for being what they are.

In my mind, I call that progress.

Reggie Wayne was always high on my "Greatest Colts Of All Time" list. He just went up another notch.


(stampedeblue.com)

INDIANAPOLIS--Reggie Wayne’s message for the newest member of the Colts receiving corps was succinct.

Three words were all that was needed for Darrius Hewyard-Bey’s ears to perk up.

“Come to work,” the 13-year Colts receiver said to Heyward-Bey.

Heyward-Bey has watched Wayne from afar since entering the league in 2009 and now he gets a first-hand look of what it takes to become a Pro Bowl receiver.
“I know he’s going to be that vet that’s going to lead the way in our receiver room and I’m just going to watch and try to (take) it all in,” Heyward-Bey said of Wayne on The Last Word.

Along with getting the opportunity to be under the tutelage of Wayne, Heyward-Bey is joining a team that is used to the postseason.

In Heyward-Bey’s four seasons in Oakland, the Raiders did not finish over .500. The electric receiver is hoping the move to Indianapolis increases the chance to reach the game’s highest peak.

“The only frustrating part was not going to the playoffs,” Heyward-Bey said of his time in Oakland. “Every player in this league wants to win the Super Bowl. The only way you get a chance to get there is to get into the tournament.”

This offseason was Heyward-Bey’s first experience as an NFL free agent.

The five-year NFL veteran compared the process to being recruited out of high school and after evaluating the pros and cons, the Horseshoe outweighed the competition.

“You definitely want to feel wanted in this process,” Heyward-Bey said. “It felt good but I understand that I still have to go to work and I need to get better each and every day.”

“My confidence will carry me through the spring training, training camp and I’m looking forward to the season. I know that we’ve got one goal and that’s to win a Super Bowl and that’s all I need.”


(colts.com)

Reggie Wayne exuded maturity when he walked into the St. Regis Resort Ballroom on Saturday night. Accompanied by his family and holding one of his young sons, Wayne didn't look like a receiver who had caught 106 passes for 1,355 yards this past season. He looked like a regular dad.

The Athletes First Classic, a charity event hosted by David Dunn's powerhouse agency Athletes First, honored Wayne, the six-time Pro Bowler, and local philanthropist Stephanie Argyos, raising more than $1 million for the Orangewood Children's Foundation in the process.

With behemoths like Ray Lewis, Clay Matthews, Von Miller, Nate Solder and Terrence Cody in attendance, the thing that stood out most about Wayne was his relatively normal stature at 6-0 and 198 pounds. At 34, he's coming off one of his most prolific seasons, which made it fitting that the young quarterback who helped him bounce back, Andrew Luck, was the one to present Wayne with the award.

When asked to describe Wayne's game, many of his colleagues praised his consistency. Considering he's only had one season below 1,000 receiving yards since 2004 (two years ago when he caught for 960), Wayne's mastery of the wide receiver position continues to set the bar high for young receivers such as Ryan Broyles, Michael Floyd and USC standout Robert Woods, all of whom were in attendance.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer served as Master of Ceremonies while veterans Matt Schaub and Chris Cooley, up-and-comers Doug Martin and Shane Vereen, as well as prospects Woods, TJ McDonald, and Mike Glennon, attended the gala in support of Irvine-based Athletes First's charity event.

"Our mission with Athletes First is that we put the athletes first," Athletes First president Brian Murphy said. "You're not just helping the athletes on the field, but as people. One way is to give back to the community, using your resources to make a difference in the world. We started the Classic to give back ... Charity is really high on our list and it's important to us. It's part of our joy to help."

The night was a rousing success, not only for the Orangewood Foundation, which will use the seven figures worth of donations to help Orange County-based children in the foster care system, but for Wayne as well.

Consistency often goes overlooked in professional sports, but for Wayne, the night was a toast to reliability. The future Hall-of-Famer won't let that go to his head though, as he's got bigger fish to fry. Like getting his team back to the playoffs and getting his kids to crash after a raucous night.

Here is what some of the attendees had to say when asked for a short and sweet description of Wayne.

Ryan Mallet: "Consistent. He's a playmaker."

Joseph Fauria: "Beast."

Mike Glennon: "I can't think of one word. When I think of Reggie Wayne, I just think of Peyton Manning throwing touchdowns to him."

Chris Cooley: "Dependable."

Robert Woods: "I've been studying him and Marvin Harrison on tape for a long time, and he's just a great route-runner, great hips, and someone I strive to be like in the NFL."

Nate Solder: "Dependable."


(thepostgame.com)

This past weekend at the Super Bowl, Colts WR Reggie Wayne got the sparks flying as he asks local couples to pucker up for a live national social experiment all about the kiss!

Research shows that people are kissing less than ever and that 1 out of 3 women have avoided kissing a guy because he had facial hair. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon and signs showing that the kiss may be on the decline, Gillette is asking couples across America to help determine if stubble could be the trouble.

This past weekend, couples in New Orleans were invited to participate in a Kiss + Tell live experiment in-person. Men arrives stubbled, first conducting an introductory interview, then kissed with stubble.

Men then shaves and the couple will kiss again. A short follow-up survey was then conducted to determine which is truly more kissable. Anyone unable to attend in-person can conduct the experiment online at KissandTellUs.com. National results will be announced on Valentine’s Day.

Here’s pics from the weekends event!




(newspress.me)

Two 1,000 yard seasons and proCane Reggie Wayne is in the top 5. If Wayne somehow gets one more 1k season after that, which might be a stretch at 36 he could finish top 2 all time in rec. yards. He would also be the only wide receiver in NFL history to do it with one team his whole career.

1.Jerry Rice+ 22,895
2.Terrell Owens 15,934
3.Randy Moss (34) 15,292
4.Isaac Bruce 15,208
5.Tim Brown14,934
6.Marvin Harrison14,580
7.Tony Gonzalez (35) 14,268
8.James Lofton+ 14,004
9.Cris Carter 13,899
10.Henry Ellard 13,777
11.Torry Holt13,382
12.Andre Reed 13,198
13.Steve Largent+ 13,089
14.Reggie Wayne (33) 13,063

On Thursday night's "Parks and Recreation," some Indianapolis Colts showed up to make a character's dream come true. Andy Dwyer, as played by Chris Pratt, never had a bachelor party before his wedding (for which he wore a Reggie Wayne jersey.) Jim Irsay, Andrew Luck and Wayne show up at Lucas Oil Field to give Dwyer the best bachelor party ever.

Though Luck and Irsay did a good job, it was Wayne who stole the show as he told Dwyer it was a little weird to get married in a Colts jersey. If you're a Colts fan, this is a good reason to start watching "Parks and Rec." (If you're not a Colts fan, you should still be watching "Parks and Rec." It's a great show.)

(bleacherreport.com)

Did Reggie Wayne get a fair shake from the Associated Press panel of 50 voters who pick the NFL All-Pro Team?

It’s easy to rant and rave and say no.

Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Chicago’s Brandon Marshall are the first-teamers, with Cincinnati’s A.J. Green and Andre Johnson on the second team.

Calvin Johnson got 49 votes, one short of being unanimous. Marshall got 23, Green 16.5 and Andre Johnson 8.5. Having anything less than that and having zero amount to the same thing, really.

Demaryius Thomas of Denver, Wes Welker of New England and Julio Jones of Atlanta each got one vote.

Calvin Johnson is an automatic here, with a new single-season receiving yardage record of 1,964. Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall have strong numbers though I think Johnson’s were more meaningful as they came in an offense that was ranked much higher than Chicago’s. (I know you can flip that, it’s a matter of perspective I suppose.)

Receiver	Team	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
C.Johnson	DET	122	1,964	16.1	5
A.Johnson	HOU	112	1,598	14.3	4
Marshall	CHI	118	1,508	12.8	11
Thomas	DEN	94	1,434	15.3	10
Wayne	IND	106	1,355	12.8	5
Welker	NE	118	1,354	11.5	6
Green	CIN	97	1,350	13.9	11
Jones	ATL	79	1,198	15.2	10

Wayne had both a “low” yards per catch and a “low” touchdown total. I’m sure that’s what hurt him even as he was third in the league to Marshall and Calvin Johnson on third down with 31 catches and his third-down average (14.5) was well up from his overall average.

He was uncanny in the leadership department for a young team that has no business winning 11 games and going to the playoffs. He was a fantastic target for Andrew Luck in his rookie season. He led the way for a team that lost its head coach to a fight against leukemia for most of the year.

But most of that qualifies as intangible. Looking at the voting, panelists didn’t seem to score those sorts of things very highly.

Nothing screams unreasonable in the way things came out, though I can understand the disappointment in Indianapolis as different results would have been fair, too.

While Andre Johnson wound up a second-team choice here, two of his teammates are on the first team: J.J. Watt was a unanimous choice at defensive end while Duane Brown is one of the tackles.


(espn.com)