Colts owner Jim Irsay still expects at least two Super Bowls from Andrew Luck.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the owner emphatically "doubled down" on his previous edict that foreshadowed more Super Bowls in the next decade or so than the Colts won in the Peyton Manning era (1).
"I've said it before -- we're into plural Lombardis," Irsay said at a town hall function for the club's season ticket holders Thursday. "That's what our goal is. And I'll be damned if we don't go out and get them."
Perhaps this is just an owner whooping it up for his constituents, but if not, Irsay might be in for a rude awakening. The AFC South just got twice as good as it was during the beginning of the Luck era. Luck has not thrown a football since January (shoulder surgery), the skill-position players around him still need a significant upgrade and just this offseason, the defense started to edge in the right direction for the first time in years.
Around the Colts, the Texans boast a potential No. 1 defense that will be intact for at least a few more years. Marcus Mariota and the thumping Titans running game seem to just be getting started, with most of the team's core players under the age of 28. The Jaguars again layered all-star free agent atop all-star free agent this offseason.
Irsay went on to say that, "I'm telling you guys, the offensive line is fixed. The reason I'll tell you it's fixed is because (former longtime Colts offensive line coach) Howard Mudd told me it's fixed."
Coaches and owners will differ on the psychology, but this seems like a completely ridiculous burden to place on someone's shoulders -- especially the player who followed Manning and is now recovering from a serious shoulder surgery. This is a team with a potentially great young quarterback that needs to solve a ton of other issues before they can start talking about multiple Lombardi trophies. At least they are not short on confidence.
