Colts delete controversial schedule release video featuring Tyreek Hill arrest
The NFL released the full 18-week schedule for the 2025 season on May 14.
Each team had their own way of announcing their schedule via video. Two teams used the popular video game "Minecraft" (the inspiration for a 2025 movie starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa) to take fans through their 18-week season: the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Colts' video included subtle jokes aimed at their opponents for 2025 but the team has since removed their video from X.
On Thursday, the Colts provided an explanation for their decision to remove the video.
"We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill," the team said in a statement released, per ProFootballTalk. "We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek."
The clip in question was tied to the Colts' Week 1 matchup with the Miami Dolphins. It featured a Tyreek Hill-styled dolphin seemingly being stopped by a Coast Guard boat. It appeared to be a reference to his arrest last year for a traffic violation before the Dolphins' season opener.
As for the rights issue, the Colts didn't appear to secure proper permission from Microsoft to use "Minecraft" animation for its schedule release video. There was no disclaimer in Indianapolis' video, unlike the Chargers', which featured the following message at the beginning of it:
"All content featured in this video is for entertainment purposes only and is not available in-game," the Chargers' disclaimer read. "This video does not depict actual gameplay footage. Minecraft used with permission from Microsoft Corporation. Any opinions or commentary in this video are not endorsed by Microsoft Corporation or Mojang AB, TM & Mojang AB."
As such, the Colts replaced its schedule release video with a thread of art made in Microsoft Paint for each matchup, as made by the X user @nba_paint.
USA Today Sports' Jacob Camenker contributed to this report.
(This story has been updated.)