Colts Part Ways with Reggie Wayne

NFL via Getty Images(INDIANAPOLIS) — The Indianapolis Colts announced that they will not resign 14-year veteran receiver Reggie Wayne, who spent all 14 seasons with the team and won a Super Bowl title during that run.

“My relationship with Reggie goes back to my coaching days at the University of Miami. He is the epitome of what a coach looks for in a player,” Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said in a statement.  “Hard work, dedication, and sacrifice are just a few ways I would describe him. He encompasses everything that is right about this game, on and off the field.”

The statement continued, “I am so grateful I had the chance to coach Reggie again when I arrived in 2012. It was a blessing to see the impact that he made with this organization and Colts fans around the world. I wish him all the best in the future and thank him for representing the horseshoe in the most professional manner.”

Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay also released a statement about Wayne’s release. “Reggie is one of the greatest men to ever wear the horseshoe, and we have been blessed to watch him play for the past 14 years,” he said. “When he first took the field with us in 2001, we knew this day would eventually arrive.  That reality is one of the things that makes pro football such a tough business.”

“We feel this decision is in the best interests of the team and for Reggie as it will allow him to seek a better opportunity for playing time elsewhere if he so chooses. Reggie is beloved by the Colts organization and our fans and he will always be a part of the Colts family.  I look forward to the day in the near future when our great number 87 enters the Colts Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Irsay continued.

Wayne is the franchise’s leader in regular season games played (211) and ranks second in receptions with 1,070 for 14,345 yards, and 80 receiving touchdowns. Wayne was drafted 30th overall in the 2001 NFL draft.

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