Former Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt believes he deserves a place in the team’s Ring of Honor for his contributions during his tenure. However, not only has the organization excluded him from this recognition, but he also claims they have completely distanced themselves from him since his departure.
This includes not inviting him to Dwight Freeney’s Hall of Fame ceremony, despite Freeney specifically requesting that all of his former teammates be invited.
Vanderjagt shared his perspective in an interview with The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, where he discussed two key moments that he believes severed his ties with the franchise.
The first incident occurred after the Colts’ 2002 playoff loss to the New York Jets. In a postgame interview, Vanderjagt openly questioned the leadership and intensity of head coach Tony Dungy and quarterback Peyton Manning, doubting whether they had what it took to win a Super Bowl.
This led to Manning’s famous “liquored-up kicker” remark at the Pro Bowl.
The second defining moment came in the 2005 divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when Vanderjagt missed a crucial field goal that would have kept the Colts’ season alive. Indianapolis, a heavy favorite, was sent home in shocking fashion while the Dungy-Manning-led core was still chasing its first championship.
Although Vanderjagt later took responsibility for his comments and mended fences with Manning, the franchise never seemed to move past those incidents.
The situation worsened when, shortly after the missed kick, Vanderjagt appeared on a late-night talk show—despite team president Bill Polian’s disapproval—and successfully kicked a 46-yard field goal on the streets of New York City, the exact distance he had missed in the playoff game.
From The Athletic:
> Vanderjagt was an impending free agent. He figured after the Pittsburgh miss, his days in Indy were numbered. So not only did he go on the show, but also he kicked a 46-yard field goal on the streets of New York City with Letterman holding. This time, he made it.
“No regrets whatsoever,” Vanderjagt says.
Polian was furious.
> “They weren’t bringing me back,” Vanderjagt says. “When you listen to Bill Polian’s radio show the day after the game and you’re the most accurate kicker in history and you get thrown under the bus for why we lost, you’re just like, ‘I deserve better.’ Listen, I needed to go somewhere else. It was a Bill Polian thing. I’m just not a very good ass-kisser. I’m not good at being fake.”
Following his departure, Vanderjagt signed with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency but played just 10 games before exiting the NFL for good. Meanwhile, the Colts replaced him with Adam Vinatieri, who they signed away from the New England Patriots, and went on to win the Super Bowl the very next season.
The entire saga is one of burned bridges and lingering tension.
While Vanderjagt may have the credentials for a Ring of Honor spot, time should have softened the franchise’s stance—especially since Polian is no longer with the organization, and the Colts ultimately won their championship. However, this may not be the only factor keeping him out.
Notably, the Colts have also not honored Vinatieri, who spent more years with the team than Vanderjagt and helped secure a Super Bowl win. It’s possible that the organization simply does not view kickers as being on the same level as other inductees.
Even so, it does not explain why they have completely distanced themselves from Vanderjagt in every other regard.
