Indianapolis Colts: Strange offseason leaves more questions than answers

The Indianapolis Colts went 11-5 and made the playoffs in 2020, but it’s hard to tell if they actually got better over the offseason, despite looking busy. 

In a lot of ways, general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich have done a great job running the Indianapolis Colts. Ballard has built a strong young nucleus anchored by All-Pro talents in guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard, supplemented by good draft classes that keep replenishing the bench and producing hidden gems. The Colts are set up well to be a consistent factor in the AFC playoff picture.

However, there are a few blind spots on this roster that hold them back from being a true contender, and the 2021 offseason didn’t do much to ease those concerns. In fact, one could easily argue the Colts are worse than they were in 2020 when they went 11-5 and reached the playoffs.

Let’s take a look at those roster holes and the subsequent questions they raise as we examine whether this team is truly ready to take a step forward, or just destined to run in place.

5. What is the long-term plan at quarterback?

Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement in the 2019 preseason left the Colts in a lurch that they’re still trying to crawl out of. Jacoby Brissett played admirably as a short-term fix but he never showed the tools to be a true franchise quarterback. The Colts went the mercenary route in 2020, bringing in Philip Rivers to bump up their contention window. Rivers did well for the most part while guiding them to the playoffs, but his limitations were obvious at age 39 and he retired following a loss in the Wild Card Round.

Looking for their third starting quarterback in three years, the Colts decided to gamble on Carson Wentz in a trade. On paper, it makes a lot of sense — Wentz was a borderline MVP candidate just a few years ago with the Philadelphia Eagles and is reuniting with Reich, his old offensive coordinator from Philly. It’s not hard to imagine Wentz reviving his career under the coach who oversaw his best years.

In reality, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Wentz didn’t just have a basic slump in 2020; he was legitimately one of the worst quarterbacks in football. He tied for the league lead with 15 interceptions, despite getting benched for Jalen Hurts late in the season. He averaged just 6.0 yards per attempt, placing him in the company of such luminaries as Dwayne Haskins and Sam Darnold.  He had a hideous 10.3 percent sack rate, one of the worst in the league for a regular starter.

It’s easy to blame this all on his lack of weapons or protection, but that’s just what it is — an easy excuse. Wentz played like a man with no plan or confidence, running away from clean pockets, forcing bad passes, dragging the team down with him. It was a stunning collapse that can’t just be written off as a fluke.

The Colts are essentially banking on Wentz going back to his old self under Reich, which is a dangerous game to play when they’re supposedly in a contention window. And unless you think Jacob Eason or Sam Ehlinger will ever become a thing, they don’t really have any fallback options if Wentz flops again.

This might be easier to swallow if they didn’t ignore needs at other offensive positions. Speaking of which…