The Indianapolis Colts are entering unknown territory in the 2026 offseason. The team will be without longtime owner Jim Irsay, who died in May 2025. The ownership group of the team is now led by Irsay's daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, but make no mistake: Irsay-Gordon knows her stuff.
For years, she has been a visible part of the team, whether that be making notes on the sideline or making notes in the press box. The owner green-lit the trade to acquire Sauce Gardner, for instance. She learned the sport from her father, and she is as knowledgeable about football as anyone. That isn't in question, but her willingness to make needed moves might be.
That isn't to say that she won't, only that fans and analysts don't yet know the answer. Will Irsay-Gordon stick by general manager Chris Ballard after his team has only gone to the postseason twice in nine years, and has never won the AFC South? Or will the new Colts owner go a different course?
Is Carlie Irsay-Gordon ready to make changes to the Indianapolis Colts?
One thing appears clear, based on recent statements that Irsay-Gordon made to The Athletic: She isn't afraid of change.
"Most people don’t like change,” she said after Daniel Jones was injured in Week 14. “I think there’s something wrong with me, but I feel like it is the one thing that is a guarantee. I think it can be exciting."
Change can definitely be exciting, and it might be needed for the Indianapolis Colts to change their direction moving forward. Ballard hasn't proven he can make the team a consistent playoff threat. He might act as if he does, but his record doesn't prove that.
How good a head coach is Shane Steichen? He has a losing record after three seasons on the job, but he can only work with the roster that Ballard has given him. Maybe Steichen would be better elsewhere?
He obviously knows what makes an offense work well, but is he simply a lackey for Ballard, and Steichen doesn't really have much to do with the defense? The job on that side of the ball appears to be firmly in the hands of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Anarumo is viewed well by many around the NFL, but he has never had a truly elite defense. This season was a mixed bag of his coaching skills. His unit did a great job against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, but the defense was torched in the next two weeks. Were injuries the problem (even though the defense was as injured in Week 15 as Week 16 and 17), or is the scheme a problem?
After losing to the Houston Texans in Week 18, the Indianapolis Colts finished 8-9 for the second straight season. Changes appear needed, but what Carlie Irsay-Gordon wants to do remains a mystery for now.