INDIANAPOLIS -- The visitors' locker room inside Gillette Stadium was nearly empty. There were a few equipment managers making sure nothing was left behind, and one Indianapolis Colts player: Reggie Wayne.
The 14-year veteran receiver slowly gathered his belongings before walking out of the New England Patriots' stadium for what turned out to be his last game as a member of the Colts.
Before leaving, Wayne, who clearly wasn't happy, told me he saw the writing on the wall as far as where he fit in on offense.
"I had [New England's] third or fourth cornerback on me at times, and you saw the stat sheet," he said.
Wayne had no receptions and wasn't targeted one time by quarterback Andrew Luck in the Colts' 45-7 loss to the Patriots on Jan. 18 in the AFC Championship Game, the franchise's biggest game since playing in the AFC title game in 2009. The same thing had happened a week before against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
Reggie Wayne with no targets in the final two playoff games of the season?
For as good as his hands were -- and they're some of the best of all time -- Wayne, 36, no longer had the ability to beat defenders and get open for Luck on a regular basis.
Wayne, who played with an elbow injury and a torn triceps, had his worst season (64 catches, 779 yards, 2 TDs) since 2003, when he finished with 68 receptions, 838 yards and 7 TDs. That's why general manager Ryan Grigson had to make his second-toughest decision since taking over in 2012. The announcement not to re-sign Wayne came almost three years to the day that the Colts released quarterback Peyton Manning.
This was a business decision, and the Colts made the right choice to not re-sign Wayne. The Colts have Super Bowl aspirations next season and they know they have to put a better supporting cast around Luck and receiver T.Y. Hilton.
"He is the epitome of what a coach looks for in a player," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "Hard work, dedication and sacrifice are just a few ways I would describe him. He encompasses everything that is right about this game, on and off the field. I am so grateful I had the chance to coach Reggie again when I arrived in 2012. It was a blessing to see the impact that he made with this organization and Colts fans around the world. I wish him all the best in the future and thank him for representing the horseshoe in the most professional manner."
Things won't be the same inside the Colts' organization without Wayne. He set the example for young players on what it takes to be successful -- from how he ran his routes in practice, to spending extra time on the Jugs machine making every kind of catch imaginable, to his professionalism inside the locker room.
Wayne -- with 1,070 receptions, 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns in his career -- didn't dominate last season, but did prove he could return from a torn ACL he suffered in October 2013.
His name should be mentioned right behind Manning's when you talk about the Indianapolis Colts. That's how much Wayne meant to the team and the state of Indiana during his career with the franchise.
It's uncertain what's next for Wayne. He had said several times during the regular season that he wouldn't play for another team. Now we must wait to find out if that's still the case.