2019 Indianapolis Colts season

2019 Indianapolis Colts season
OwnerJim Irsay
General managerChris Ballard
Head coachFrank Reich
Home fieldLucas Oil Stadium
Results
Record7–9
Division place3rd AFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersOLB Shaquille Leonard
G Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
TE Jack Doyle
AP All-ProsG Quenton Nelson (1st team)
LB Shaquille Leonard (2nd team)
Uniform

The 2019 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 67th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 36th in Indianapolis. It was also their second season under head coach Frank Reich and third under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard.

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 (20122014, 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 fewest points allowed to the Chiefs since Patrick Mahomes became the starter.