For the first time since
2011, quarterback
Andrew Luck was not on the roster, as he announced his retirement on August 24, 2019. A four-time
Pro Bowler and the top pick in the
2012 Draft, Luck led the Colts to four playoff appearances (
2012–
2014,
2018), an appearance in the AFC Championship Game in the 2014 season (the franchise's only time doing so in the post-
Peyton Manning era), and won the
NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2018. A four-year cycle of injuries and rehab that dated back to 2015 had "taken his joy of this game away," which led to his decision of retiring. This would also mark kicker
Adam Vinatieri's last season in the NFL, after playing 24 years in the league, as he would spend the entire 2020 season in free agency before retiring on May 26, 2021. A four-time Super Bowl champion with the Colts and
New England Patriots, Vinatieri is considered one of the greatest kickers of all time and made memorable game-winning plays with the Patriots in games such as the
Tuck Rule Game and Super Bowls
XXXVI and
XXXVIII. Vinatieri was also the last remaining active player whose career began in the 1990s.
Despite a strong 5–2 start, the Colts would suffer a late-season collapse, losing 7 of their next 9 games, and were eliminated from playoff contention after a Week 15 loss to the
New Orleans Saints. This was partially a result of injuries to key skill players such as QB
Jacoby Brissett, WR
T. Y. Hilton, RB
Marlon Mack and TE
Eric Ebron. They also failed to improve or match their 10–6 record from
the previous season.
Despite the disappointing season, the Colts managed to defeat the eventual
Super Bowl champions the
Kansas City Chiefs and limit the Chiefs offense to only 13 points, which at the time was the least points allowed to the Chiefs since
Patrick Mahomes became the starter.
Because the Colts lost more compensatory free agents than they signed during the
2018 free agency period, the team was awarded one
compensatory selection in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.[1]
The Colts acquired the Raiders' fourth-round pick (109th) in exchange for their two fourth-round picks (129th and 135th)
Rookies in italics
53 active, 14 inactive, 8 practice squad
Preseason
The team was rocked by the decision August 24 by starting
quarterbackAndrew Luck that he would immediately retire from professional football due to chronic injury problems and the emotional and mental strain they had extracted. Luck, the 2018 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, had been battling a mysterious and slow-healing leg injury, described by the team variously as a "calf strain" and a "high ankle issue."[2]
Luck, a 7-year professional with four appearances in the
NFL Pro Bowl, indicated that he had been contemplating leaving the game for a week-and-a-half or two weeks prior to his announcement; he had been speaking with team officials about the matter all week.[2] In a news conference Luck indicated that his recurring injuries had "taken my joy of this game away.... After 2016, I played in pain and was unable to practice, I said I wouldn't go through that again."[2]
^
abKansas City finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcDenver finished ahead of Indianapolis and NY Jets based on conference record. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below).
^
abDenver finished ahead of Oakland based on conference record.
^
abcOakland and Indianapolis finished ahead of NY Jets based on conference record.
^
abOakland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
^
abJacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based on record against common opponents. Jacksonville's cumulative record against Cincinnati, Denver, NY Jets, and Tennessee was 4–1, compared to Cleveland's 2–3 cumulative record against the same four teams.
^
abLA Chargers finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
For the first time since
2011, quarterback
Andrew Luck was not on the roster, as he announced his retirement on August 24, 2019. A four-time
Pro Bowler and the top pick in the
2012 Draft, Luck led the Colts to four playoff appearances (
2012–
2014,
2018), an appearance in the AFC Championship Game in the 2014 season (the franchise's only time doing so in the post-
Peyton Manning era), and won the
NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2018. A four-year cycle of injuries and rehab that dated back to 2015 had "taken his joy of this game away," which led to his decision of retiring. This would also mark kicker
Adam Vinatieri's last season in the NFL, after playing 24 years in the league, as he would spend the entire 2020 season in free agency before retiring on May 26, 2021. A four-time Super Bowl champion with the Colts and
New England Patriots, Vinatieri is considered one of the greatest kickers of all time and made memorable game-winning plays with the Patriots in games such as the
Tuck Rule Game and Super Bowls
XXXVI and
XXXVIII. Vinatieri was also the last remaining active player whose career began in the 1990s.
Despite a strong 5–2 start, the Colts would suffer a late-season collapse, losing 7 of their next 9 games, and were eliminated from playoff contention after a Week 15 loss to the
New Orleans Saints. This was partially a result of injuries to key skill players such as QB
Jacoby Brissett, WR
T. Y. Hilton, RB
Marlon Mack and TE
Eric Ebron. They also failed to improve or match their 10–6 record from
the previous season.
Despite the disappointing season, the Colts managed to defeat the eventual
Super Bowl champions the
Kansas City Chiefs and limit the Chiefs offense to only 13 points, which at the time was the least points allowed to the Chiefs since
Patrick Mahomes became the starter.
Because the Colts lost more compensatory free agents than they signed during the
2018 free agency period, the team was awarded one
compensatory selection in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.[1]
The Colts acquired the Raiders' fourth-round pick (109th) in exchange for their two fourth-round picks (129th and 135th)
Rookies in italics
53 active, 14 inactive, 8 practice squad
Preseason
The team was rocked by the decision August 24 by starting
quarterbackAndrew Luck that he would immediately retire from professional football due to chronic injury problems and the emotional and mental strain they had extracted. Luck, the 2018 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, had been battling a mysterious and slow-healing leg injury, described by the team variously as a "calf strain" and a "high ankle issue."[2]
Luck, a 7-year professional with four appearances in the
NFL Pro Bowl, indicated that he had been contemplating leaving the game for a week-and-a-half or two weeks prior to his announcement; he had been speaking with team officials about the matter all week.[2] In a news conference Luck indicated that his recurring injuries had "taken my joy of this game away.... After 2016, I played in pain and was unable to practice, I said I wouldn't go through that again."[2]
^
abKansas City finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcDenver finished ahead of Indianapolis and NY Jets based on conference record. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below).
^
abDenver finished ahead of Oakland based on conference record.
^
abcOakland and Indianapolis finished ahead of NY Jets based on conference record.
^
abOakland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
^
abJacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based on record against common opponents. Jacksonville's cumulative record against Cincinnati, Denver, NY Jets, and Tennessee was 4–1, compared to Cleveland's 2–3 cumulative record against the same four teams.
^
abLA Chargers finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.