Colts QB Andrew Luck Says Reggie Wayne ‘Is No Traitor To Me At All’
USA Today
After 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, future Hall of Famer Reggie Wayne was informed that he would not be re-signed by the team. The one-time Super Bowl champion was the number one wide receiver in Indianapolis for more than a decade before the veteran showed signs of slowing down. Although Wayne wanted to play one more season before calling it a career, the Colts wanted to move on the same way they did with superstar quarterback Peyton Manning a few years earlier.
With Wayne hitting the free agent market, it was uncertain whether he’d draw considerable interest around the league. After receiving little interest from teams, Wayne was contacted by the New England Patriots and ultimately signed a one-year deal with the defending Super Bowl champions.
Wayne agreeing to sign with a bitter rival of the Colts rubbed some in Indianapolis the wrong way. Although Wayne is now playing for a rival, Colts star quarterback Andrew Luck still backs his former teammate. Luck defended Wayne’s choice to sign with New England saying the following on the Rich Eisen Show recently, via Pro Football Talk:
“There’s a lot of things said and written about a lot of people, but Reggie will always be one of the great Colts in my mind and a great, great teammate,†Luck said. “You can’t control what people write. It doesn’t really matter what’s fair or not fair, necessarily, but I know Reg is no traitor to me at all.â€
There’s no question at this point in time that Wayne is past his prime. Wayne is no longer the threat downfield that he used to be, but there’s no better team in the NFL to play for in the twilight of an NFL career than New England.
The Patriots have a reputation for turning forgotten veterans into star players once again, especially on the offensive side of the football. Wayne will have this opportunity to do just that in New England and will likely benefit from Tom Brady no longer being suspended for the first four games of the regular season.
