The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts will meet in a Super Bowl XLIV rematch in 2023, but a lot has changed in the last 14 years. Neither team is quarterbacked by the Hall of Famers who led them to that championship bout — Peyton Manning has already been enshrined, and Drew Brees is patiently waiting to join him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. These days Jim Caldwell is working in a senior assistant role with the Carolina Panthers, while the opposing coach Sean Payton has moved on to the Denver Broncos.
Of the 90-plus players who suited up for the title game, only one is still in the NFL: former Saints punter Thomas Morstead, who signed with the New York Jets this offseason. Many players have turned to coaching (like Colts receiver Reggie Wayne and Saints right tackle Zach Strief). Others have moved on from football altogether.
Sure, the Saints and Colts have crossed paths since the Super Bowl. And New Orleans has come out ahead every time:
- 2011: Saints 62, Colts 7
- 2015: Saints 27, Colts 21
- 2019: Saints 34, Colts 7
Will Indianapolis challenge them this time? Maybe, if they don’t hesitate to give Anthony Richardson the keys to the offense. And even if they do waffle on that decision and let Gardner Minshew start the season at quarterback, odds are Richardson will have supplanted him by the time New Orleans visits Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 8, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Oct. 29.
Richardson does everything well that the Saints have struggled to defend as a big-armed passer who can make plays with his legs. If he does start the season and has had some time to settle in, he’ll be a problem for the New Orleans defense. Maybe he’s got what it takes to deliver some long-awaited payback to the team that took Manning’s Colts down in the Super Bowl.
