You know the feeling when you’re looking at a history book and realize the "good old days" weren’t always that good? Or maybe they were better than you remembered? Looking at the Indianapolis Colts record by year is exactly like that. It’s a wild ride through dominance, heartbreak, and those weird years where the team just... existed.
Most people think of the Colts and immediately see Peyton Manning pointing at a linebacker. Or maybe they think of Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement. But this franchise has been around since 1953, and its identity didn't just start when they pulled those Mayflower trucks into Indy in the middle of a snowy night in '84.
The record is a tale of two cities, several Hall of Fame arms, and a whole lot of "what ifs."
The Baltimore Roots: Where the Winning Started
The Colts didn't start in Indiana. They started in Baltimore, and honestly, they were a juggernaut right out of the gate once they found their footing.
In 1958 and 1959, the Colts went 9-3 back-to-back under Weeb Ewbank. They won the NFL Championship both years. That 1958 game against the Giants? People call it "The Greatest Game Ever Played." It changed how America looked at football.
But then came the Don Shula era. Between 1963 and 1969, the Colts were terrifying. Check out 1968: they went 13-1. One loss. They dominated the NFL and won the championship, only to get stunned by Joe Namath and the Jets in Super Bowl III. It's one of the biggest upsets ever.
They finally got their first Super Bowl ring in 1970, going 11-2-1. But the 70s ended on a sour note. By the time 1981 rolled around, the team was a disaster, finishing 2-14. In 1982, during the strike-shortened season, they didn't win a single game. Not one. 0-8-1. That’s the rock bottom nobody likes to talk about.
The Move and the Dark Ages (1984–1997)
When the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984, they weren't exactly world-beaters. They went 4-12 that first year in the Hoosier Dome.
Fans were just happy to have a team, but the Indianapolis Colts record by year during this stretch is pretty grim. Outside of a surprising 9-6 record in 1987 where they won the AFC East, the team spent most of the late 80s and early 90s stuck in the mud.
1991 was particularly painful. A 1-15 finish. Think about that. You go to the stadium 16 times and only see a win once.
Things started to turn around in 1995 with the "Cardiac Colts." Led by Jim Harbaugh—yeah, the coach—they went 9-7 and almost made it to the Super Bowl. They lost the AFC Championship to the Steelers on a Hail Mary that was this close to being caught. It gave the city hope, even if 1997 saw them crash back to 3-13.
The Golden Era: 12-Win Seasons as a Hobby
Then 1998 happened. They drafted a kid from Tennessee named Peyton Manning.
He went 3-13 as a rookie. He threw a ton of picks. People wondered if he was a bust. Spoiler: he wasn't.
By 1999, the Colts flipped the script entirely, going 13-3. That started a run of dominance that we might never see again. From 2003 to 2009, look at these regular-season records:
- 2003: 12-4
- 2004: 12-4
- 2005: 14-2 (The year they started 13-0)
- 2006: 12-4 (The Super Bowl XLI win)
- 2007: 13-3
- 2008: 12-4
- 2009: 14-2
Basically, for nearly a decade, you could bet your house the Colts would win at least 12 games. Tony Dungy was a winning machine. But there was always this "Yeah, but..." because they struggled in the playoffs. The 2005 team was arguably their most talented ever, but they lost to the Steelers in the Divisional round after a missed field goal.
The 2006 season was actually one of their "worse" regular seasons in that stretch at 12-4, but that’s the one where they finally beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship and handled the Bears in the rain to get the trophy.
The Andrew Luck Rollercoaster
When Manning got hurt and the team went 2-14 in 2011, everyone thought the party was over. Then came Andrew Luck.
In 2012, 2013, and 2014, the team went 11-5 every single year. It was like they didn't even miss a beat. Luck was doing things on the field that didn't make sense, carrying rosters that—let’s be honest—weren't always elite.
But the injuries started piling up. 2015 and 2016 were mediocre 8-8 years. Then Luck missed all of 2017, and the record plummeted to 4-12. He came back in 2018, took them to 10-6 and a playoff win, and won Comeback Player of the Year.
And then, he retired in the middle of a preseason game in 2019. Total shock. The team went 7-9 that year, and the search for a permanent QB began.
Recent History: Seeking Stability
Since Luck walked away, the Indianapolis Colts record by year has been a bit of a seesaw.
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- 2020: Philip Rivers came in for one last ride, going 11-5. They lost a heartbreaker to Buffalo in the Wild Card.
- 2021: The Carson Wentz year. 9-8. They just had to beat a bad Jacksonville team in the final week to make the playoffs. They didn't.
- 2022: A total mess. 4-12-1. Frank Reich got fired, Jeff Saturday came in from the TV studio to coach, and the team blew a 33-0 lead to Minnesota.
- 2023: Shane Steichen took over. With a rookie QB in Anthony Richardson (who got hurt early) and Gardner Minshew, they somehow fought to 9-8, barely missing the postseason.
- 2024: Another grind. 8-9. The team showed flashes but couldn't find the consistency needed to win the AFC South.
Why the Record Matters for 2026 and Beyond
If you look at the broad sweep of this history, the Colts are a "peaks and valleys" franchise. They don't usually stay bad for long. Even after the 2-14 disaster in 2011, they were back in the playoffs the next year.
Right now, the franchise is in a building phase under Shane Steichen. The goal is to get back to those 10+ win seasons that felt like a birthright in the 2000s. The record shows that when the Colts have "The Guy" at quarterback, they are almost impossible to beat. Without him? It's a struggle.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking the Colts' progress, keep these historical markers in mind:
- The 10-Win Threshold: Historically, the Colts need at least 10 wins to feel safe for a playoff spot in the AFC.
- Division Dominance: Most of their best years coincided with winning the AFC South. When they lose control of the division, the overall record usually hovers around .500.
- Coach Consistency: The best records came under long-tenured coaches like Shula, Marchibroda (first stint), and Dungy. Constant turnover usually leads to those 4-win or 8-win purgatory seasons.
The record is more than just numbers on a page; it’s a map of how this team survives transitions. Whether they can find that Manning-era magic again depends on whether they can stop the revolving door at key positions and build the kind of defensive consistency they had in the mid-2000s.
Watching the 2026 season unfold, the real test will be if they can finally break the cycle of 8-9 or 9-8 finishes and get back to being the juggernaut the league feared for two decades.
The data shows they’ve done it before. They can do it again.