Colts fans, sorry.
That sucked. There’s no way to make the sting of losing that game to the Bills feel better right now. Your team shot itself in the foot and came up short with multiple chances to win the game. However, this Colts team is still set up to be a player in the AFC for the immediate future.
The Colts will pick in the mid-20s in the upcoming NFL Draft and are projected to have over $60 million in cap space according to Spotrac. There is a question over whether or not Philip Rivers will retire, but considering he put together a pretty solid campaign, he might feel like putting together one more run towards that evasive Super Bowl trophy.
Even if he does decide to hang it up — or not re-sign — the Colts will have the ammunition to find a quality quarterback, whether it’s a trade or the draft. Those options are unclear right now, but they could be players for Carson Wentz (which admittedly doesn’t sound that enticing at this moment) or Matthew Stafford or trade up for one of the quarterbacks in this talent-rich quarterback draft class. They have the assets to make such a move.
At the very least, this team returns a talented core of players. Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, and Darius Leonard will come back next year to anchor the team in 2021. If the Colts do decide to go all-in on 2021 with Rivers at the helm, then they can spend their resources adding premium talent at cornerback and edge rusher for their defense. That’s easier said than done, but again, they have the resources to find great talent.
Starting over next season is a tough pill to swallow, but Colts fans shouldn’t be feeling too down about their chances to get back to the playoffs next year. It’s a well-coached squad with options on how they want to attack this offseason and upgrade the team.