1980s

Mike McCormack replaced Marchibroda as head coach in January of 1980. The Colts improved to 7-9 in 1980 before recording a 2-14 mark in 1981.

On December 21, 1981, Frank Kush succeeded McCormack as head coach.

After two weeks of action in 1982, a players' strike resulted in the cancellation of seven games, and the NFL played a nine-game schedule. The Colts finished with a record of 0-8-1. Baltimore received the first pick of the 1983 NFL Draft and selected QB-John Elway. Six days later, the Colts traded Elway to Denver for OT-Chris Hinton, QB-Mark Herrmann and its first-round pick in 1984.

In 1983, the Colts finished 7-9, forging the biggest turnaround in NFL history for a team that had gone winless in the previous season. Hinton started at right guard in the Pro Bowl. RBs-Curtis Dickey and Randy McMillan combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards as the club led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL.

Professional football came to Indianapolis on March 28, 1984, when Robert Irsay moved the historic NFL franchise from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

Following the 1984 season, Robert Irsay and General Manager Jim Irsay appointed Rod Dowhower as head coach on January 28, 1985. Indianapolis earned a 5-11 mark with a club that rushed for a conference-leading 2,439 yards, fifth-best in the NFL. The team's 5.0 yards per carry rushing average marked the first time in a decade an AFC team achieved that feat.

On December 1, 1986, Ron Meyer succeeded Dowhower as head coach. Meyer led the club to the division title in 1987, before falling in the divisional round at Cleveland, 38-21.

RB-Eric Dickerson, acquired in a blockbuster trade on October 31, 1987, won the NFL rushing title in 1988 with 1,659 yards.

Indianapolis earned a 9-7 record in 1988 and an 8-8 mark in 1989, but lost playoff positions on the last weekend of each season.