Peyton Manning & Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts

For much of his career, it looked as if Peyton Manning would be one of those storied quarterbacks with a Hall of Fame resume, a Super Bowl ring or two, and only one team and city to call home. However, three years ago Manning suffered a complicated and career-threatening neck injury that required multiple surgeries and left him standing on the sideline for the entirety of his last year with the team that drafted him, the Indianapolis Colts. The team struggled desperately without him and ended the year with the worst record in the NFL. As a result, they had the first pick in the draft and ownership chose to go in a different direction. Peyton Manning, arguably the greatest quarterback of this generation (of all time, even), was jobless; fans who had cheered for him during his 14 seasons with the Colts watched as he crossed a couple of time zones, finding a home with the Denver Broncos.

In the season and a half since he’s been gone, you could say things have worked out for both teams. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Andrew Luck No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft and rode his arm and a bit of luck into a playoff berth during his rookie year. After a bit of a bumpy start, Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos finished with 11 straight wins in the 2012 regular season and fell just short of advancing in the playoffs with a 2OT loss to eventual Super Bowl Champions the Baltimore Ravens. This year, the Colts have endured a few tough losses, including a recent Monday Night no-show against the San Diego Chargers. The 2013 Denver Broncos are setting a blistering offensive pace and returning two defensive superstars – Von Miller & Champ Bailey – for their 10/20/2013 visit to Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.

Click here for 2013 Broncos – Colts Tickets, Broncos & Colts Game Average Ticket Prices

Fans will welcome home one of their favorite sons this weekend, and they are paying dearly to do so. According to our data, the October 20 Broncos at Colts tickets are fetching an average price nearly three times greater than the game the Colts hosted against the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago. The Seahawks game featured an NFC opponent which only visits once every eight years, is a playoff favorite, and features another hyped 2012 quarterback, Russell Wilson. That should show you just how excited people are for Peyton Manning’s return to Indianapolis. In fact, these tickets are also about twice the Denver Broncos ticket prices we saw last week when they hosted Jacksonville. Those fans were showing up hoping to see an epic blowout, not playoff contenders, but, again, it illustrates that having Peyton Manning back in Indianapolis isn’t just another game in the AFC playoff race.

It’s rare to see a quarterback so cemented in the history of one franchise return to his old home field with a new team AND seemingly every bit of his skill in tact. This Colts v Broncos game is a story of risk: Indianapolis decided it couldn’t invest a lot of money in Manning’s repaired neck at his age, while the Broncos decided it was worth a shot and have been running wild as a result. The Indianapolis Colts have rebuilt with a young star quarterback, an enthusiastic coach, young wideouts and just traded for a bruising first-round running back in Trent Richardson. This Broncos-Colts game is a rare look at redemption and rebuilding stories that are both going pretty well. The whole NFL world will be focused on Indianapolis Sunday Night (8:30p.m. Eastern) to see which team wins out on this night.

2013 Broncos – Colts Tickets

Denver Broncos Tickets

Indianapolis Colts Tickets

Broncos & Colts Game Average Ticket Prices

Game Date Avg Price
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos 10/13/13 $172.88
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts 10/20/13 $321.88
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts 10/6/13 $117.55

Broncos at Colts Preview

Denver at Indianapolis Matchup

Peyton Manning Highlights

Andrew Luck Highlights