Colts quarterback depth ranks horribly low

Headed into the 2011 season the Indianapolis Colts were stuck in limbo. Just the season before the Colts were bounced in the first round of the playoffs after a home loss to the New York Jets which saw Peyton Manning freak out with Jim Caldwell called an horribly timed time-out that let the Jets get closer in field goal range.

The season was over and the reigning MVP in Manning was set to lead the Colts back to the playoffs just like he had done every year since the 2002 season. But Manning had offseason neck surgery and his health was up in the air. We all know what happened next.

Manning missed the entire season and the Colts were forced to trot out and aging Kerry Collins, followed but a poor backup in Curtis Painter. That forced the Colts into eventually starting Dan Orlovsky, you know the quarterback that lead the Lions to an 0-16 record. Needless to say the Colts finished that year 2-14 and had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Enter the Andrew Luck era.

But that season will go down as one of the worst quarterback depth charts in NFL history over the last decade. And ESPN Insiders decided to rank the 10 worst overall units in that time.

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Surprisingly the Colts came in with an honorable mention, but that is due in part to the fact that Manning was still on the roster and the team was still holding out that he could return. However he never suited up that season and never played another down with the Colts.

Here is what ESPN had to say about the dreadful quarterback play by the Colts that year.

This depth chart might have been even worse than Washington’s — once it was clear Peyton Manning would miss the entire season. However, Manning’s status was still a mystery when the Colts started training camp; deep into the regular season, the team was still holding on to hope Manning would be able to play. He was the true No. 1 on the depth chart, but Curtis Painter was a poor contingency plan, forcing the Colts to sign Kerry Collins out of retirement just two weeks before the regular season began.

That Washington lineup? Rex Grossman and John Beck. Honestly it is hard to imagine which one was worse, but at least the Redskins won five games that year.

So needless to say that the Colts trouted out the worst quarterback unit in the last decade back in 2010. Something not to be proud of by any means.

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