INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts owner Jim Irsay finds his organization in a position of uncertainty this offseason.

For one of the few times in the past 20 years, Irsay doesn't know who his franchise quarterback will be. He has been spoiled; the Colts have made the playoffs 13 times in the past 18 years. The bad news is they've missed the postseason in four of the past five years, with two of those years coming under current general manager Chris Ballard.

With the NFL's annual scouting combine starting next week, the Colts are about to embark on their most important offseason not involving a head coach or general manager search since before Peyton Manning was drafted first overall in 1998.

That's a far -- and fast -- fall from last August, when Irsay compared the 2019 team to the ones that featured Manning and Reggie Wayne.

"This is one of the best teams I've had the privilege to bring to our fans," Irsay said at the time. "It honestly matches some of those days of Peyton, Edgerrin [James], Reggie -- all of those guys."

Irsay made those comments not knowing that Andrew Luck would soon be retiring at age 29. The Colts finished with a 7-9 record in 2019.

The balance of power in the NFL often changes from year to year. One moment you're looking as if you're in position to be in the mix for a title for years to come, the next you're picking toward the top of the draft. The Colts are 37-43 with only one playoff appearance since reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

The Colts know they have work to do to get back to playoffs and to contend in the AFC South, a division the Houston Texans have won in four of the past five years. The Tennessee Titans have reached the postseason in two of the past three years, including getting to the AFC Championship Game this past season.

"This division is tough. It's a battle every week, and it does make the job challenging," Ballard said. "It hardens you. ... When you have six games where you're gonna get a battle, and then if you come out of it and get in the playoffs, you're gonna be playoff-ready. So it is a challenge, but an exciting one. I haven't lost any confidence about where we're going and how we're gonna get it done. Maybe the path changed a little bit, the obstacles, it doesn't matter. We've gotta find a way to get it done and we will."

The process of trying to get it done started with scouting throughout the college football season and during the Senior Bowl last month, and it'll continue into the combine, where Ballard and his staff will meet with and watch potential draft prospects. They are also ramping up for the start of free agency on March 18.

The Colts have nine draft picks and about $90 million in salary-cap space at their disposal in their quest to try to fix a roster that has questions that go beyond the quarterback position. They also need more talent at receiver, tight end, cornerback and pass-rusher. The Colts haven't fully endorsed Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback for next season after his downward spiral -- partially due to a knee injury -- to end the 2019 season. He finished 29th in the NFL in passing yards per game.

"Jim gives us everything we need to be successful," Ballard said. "He's supportive, gives us great advice along the way. I couldn't ask for a better owner; he lets Frank and I make the decisions. You can't ask for anything better."

Irsay has taken more of a back seat in recent years. A former general manager, he still talks to Ballard and coach Frank Reich on a regular basis. But he doesn't meddle; if Ballard says he's interested in changing direction at quarterback -- for example, to try to sign a veteran such as Tom Brady or Philip Rivers until they're able to find their next franchise quarterback -- Irsay probably would listen because he believes in Ballard and wants to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible. But Irsay won't push Ballard to do something if the general manager isn't comfortable.

"The man is as passionate as anybody that I have ever been around about football," Reich said at the end of the season. "He knows the game. He eats, sleeps, drinks and breathes this game. I mean, he knows it inside and out. He is an old-school owner and I love that. We have that from our owner and we have that from our GM."