Possible Numbers for the Indianapolis Colts To Retire Next

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.  There have been many great players that have put on the blue and white jersey in Baltimore and Indianapolis.

There are currently seven players that have the luxury of having their numbers retired by the Colts organization.  Those players are No. 19 Johnny Unitas, No. 22 Buddy Young, No. 24 Lenny Moore, No. 70 Art Donovan, No. 77 Jim Parker, No. 82 Raymond Berry and No. 89 Gino Marchetti.  All of those players played for the Baltimore Colts.

As sad as it is to think about, the dominant era of the Colts is coming to an end soon.  Many of the greats that played have either retired, left the organization or will be retiring soon.

I wanted to take a look at possible players that could join those seven great players' retired jerseys in the rafters.

These would be the first players to play in Indianapolis that could have their numbers retired.

No. 18 Peyton Manning

No one is more important to an organization than Peyton Manning.  That was shown this season.

The future Hall of Famer may go down as the best to ever play the game.  He single-handlely took this franchise from despair to greatness.

Manning led the Colts to their first Super Bowl win in 2007 and an appearance in the 2010 Super Bowl.

He's broken just about every Colts record to date.

He's the career leader in wins, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, pass completions and passing yards.

Manning has a record four NFL MVP awards.

He's an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time first team All-Pro selection, three-time second team All-Pro selection, six-time AFC Player of the Year, Pro Bowl MVP, Super Bowl MVP, fastest ever to reach 50,000 yards and fastest to 4,000 completions.

His stats as of now are 4,682 for 7,210 passing.  That's a 64.9 completion percentage.  He's passed for 54,928 yards with 399 touchdowns and 198 interceptions.

It is a lock to have No. 18 retired.

No. 32 Edgerrin James

Edgerrin James may go down as the best running back in Colts' modern-day history.

James was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft.  That was a shock to everyone, since experts thought the Colts would draft Ricky Williams.

James didn't disappoint in his career with the Colts.

James was the 1999 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and is the Colts' all-time leading rusher with 9,226 career yards.

James was a four-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro Selection, the NFL's tenth leading rusher of all-time, and is a member of the NFL's 10,000-yard club.

James was unfortunately released before the Super Bowl season, but the Colts did honor him with a ring.

No. 63 Jeff Saturday

This one may be debatable, but I feel Jeff Saturday's number should be retired.

Saturday joined the Colts in 1999 as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina.

Saturday has played in five Pro Bowls in his career.  He also was a four-time All-Pro selection, and NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2007.

Saturday was a key member of the Colts' Super Bowl run in 2007.  He scored his only touchdown against New England in the AFC Championship Game, and is known for "The Block," in which he pancaked Patriots tackle Vince Wilfork to allow Joseph Addai to score the game-winning touchdown and send the Colts to the Super Bowl.

No. 87 Reggie Wayne

Reggie was always the second option behind Marvin Harrison until Harrison's injury in 2007.  That didn't bother Wayne, because the two complimented each other better than any receiver combo to ever play the game.

Wayne put up huge numbers as the second option, and since he became the main threat hasn't disappointed.

Wayne was selected in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Miami by the Colts.

Wayne has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, an All-Pro three times, NFL receiving yards champion in 2007 and 2010, NFL receptions champion in 2007 and 2010 as well, and played a key role in the Colts' Super Bowl win in 2007 with a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Don't be surprised when the No. 87 gets retired.

No. 88 Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison is easily one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a Colts uniform.  He was a key receiver since being selected out of Syracuse in 1996 by the Colts.

Harrison was Peyton Manning's favorite target as soon as Manning arrived in 1998.  The two have five NFL records that currently still stand.

Harrison has an impeccable resume that makes me believe his number will surely get retired.

He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, eight-time All-Pro selection, Wide Receiver of the Year in 2002 and most notably, a Super Bowl Championship.

Harrison has set 29 NFL records during his tenure that will surely stand for a long time.

His career was cut short while making a block in 2007 against the Denver Broncos.  He returned for the playoff game that year and the following season, but never was much of a factor again, and retired.

No. 93 Dwight Freeney

Dwight Freeney revolutionized the defensive lineman in his career with the Colts.

Freeney was selected with the 11th pick of the 2002 NFL Draft out of Syracuse by the Colts.  Many considered Freeney undersized, and didn't think he would make a good pro.

Freeney silenced the doubters quickly.

He has six Pro Bowl selections, three first team All-Pro selections, one second team All-Pro selection, was AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, was NFL Sacks Champion in 2004 and is the Colts' all-time sacks leader with 90.

Freeney was also a key contributor the the Super Bowl win in 2007.

Freeney will definitely be missed once he retires.

No. 98 Robert Mathis

Robert Mathis, like Jeff Saturday, is debatable, but he's proven his worth.  Without him the Colts wouldn't be where they are today.

Mathis compliments fellow defensive end Dwight Freeney very well, and they may be the one of the best defensive end combos in recent history.  They make each other very good.

Mathis has 356 career tackles, 76 sacks and 37 forced fumbles.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, and was a key member of the Super Bowl Championship in 2007.