Likely no Indianapolis Colts fan wants the team to fail in 2026. Maybe if one believes general manager Chris Ballard or head coach Shane Steichen need to go to help make the team better in the long run. Otherwise, it's just weird to want one's favorite team to lose.
The reality of the situation might be that Ballard and Steichen do need to be removed from their jobs. Maybe the team wins the Super Bowl this coming season, and that last sentence is just silly. Hope can be as true and pessimisim in July. The recent past implies that the future will deliver mediocrity, though.
Besides Ballard keeping his job even though his team has made the playoffs only twice in nine seasons so far, Steichen has either gone 9-8 or 8-9 in his three seasons at the helm. Injuries have been an issue, but not the only reason Indianapolis appears to be close to good or close to bad, but neither overall.
Mike Tomlin could be a candidate to take over for the Indianapolis Colts if 2026 goes badly
The only recourse to getting out of the rut, one of the tougher things to do in sports, as many times a team can improve more easily if it's terrible. That would mean high draft picks.
The Colts stay in the middle of everything, and that's not a good place to be. If Indy is mediocre once again and Steichen is let go, one of the first calls ownership should make is to former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. The attitude of the Colts would certainly change to a mentally tougher group, one based on excellent defense and efficient offense.
Tomlin's team also would be one that can use many of the pieces Indianapolis already has. Quarterback Daniel Jones is at his best when he is not forced to overdo anything. He is an accurate passer, but one who isn't prone to leading consistently explosive offenses.
Assuming the team re-signs or extends running back Jonathan Taylor, he is exactly the kind of back that any coach would love to have, but especially Tomlin. The former Steelers coach has shown he likes to run the ball effectively, and Taylor would make sure that happens.
Defensively, Indianapolis has struggled for a few years. Tomlin would almost certainly hire a different defensive coordinator than Lou Anarumo (no offense to Anarumo, but new head coaches tend to bring in coaches they have worked with before), and the front seven of the group would be tougher under Tomlin's watch.
Again, none of this is to wish that Shane Steichen gets fired, and the hope is that his team reaches a high level of success in 2026 and beyond. But there is no mistaking that Steichen is on the proverbial hot seat. The Indianapolis Colts need to reach the playoffs this season and do some damage once there.
Mike Tomlin was let go by the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason after being the head coach for 19 seasons. In 13 of those years, the team made the playoffs. While Tomlin's team did have a difficult time recently once the postseason began, he did reach two Super Bowls, and he won one in the 2008 season. He's a proven winner, and one who would be a great fit in Indianapolis.
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