The 2019 season was a disappointment for the Indianapolis Colts, in all the ways it possibly could be.

First came the gut punch: after seven seasons with the team, franchise quarterback Andrew Luck announced that he would be retiring from football, citing his consistent injury history and struggles with rehabilitation as his reasoning.

The man once touted as “the best prospect since Peyton Manning” was hanging it up, and even worse: he did not make his announcement until the end of August, forcing the Colts into quick action to get a new starter adjusted by Week 1.

Then came the next hit. After fans spent more than two years forging the belief that “Jacoby Brissett played in New England, surely he’ll come here with a winning attitude and winning play”, the former Patriot simply fell flat; after struggling to a 4-11 record in 2017 during another Luck injury season, the Florida native could only muster seven wins in his 15 starts of 2019.

Falling short of 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, Brissett failed to rally the team in any significant way, short of not turning the ball over (only six interceptions).

But then came the 2020 offseason, and the arrival of Philip Rivers. The 17-year veteran has spent his entire career with the LA/San Diego Chargers, and is now looking for Indianapolis to potentially be the place to end his career following his worst season in over a decade.

Following a season of weak receiver play, a lackluster defense, and injuries to both, general manager Chris Ballard will be expecting his free-agent quarterback prize to pull the pieces together and bring the Colts back to a place of relevance.

But how exactly should the Colts look to improve? Here are five early predictions for Indianapolis in 2020.