The season has been another disappointment for Indianapolis Colts fans. This might have been anticipated, though. Many were unhappy that the now-fired general manager, Chris Ballard, seemingly wasn't doing enough to improve the roster. The many were correct.
The team sits at 2-7 ahead of the trade deadline, and more moves could be made. The team has to acquire draft picks to help build for a better future.
But not all is lost this season. Even in the darkness, some bright spots have shown through. Some should even help the Colts win more games for the foreseeable future. The team hasn't given fans many reasons to cheer, but some of the individual play has been good.
Four bright spots in an otherwise lost season for the Indianapolis Colts
Seth McGowan
A seventh-round pick in 2026, McGowan has continued to grow in his backup role to Jonathan Taylor. He is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but has averaged 5.8 yards per carry or better in three of the last four games.
He scored his first career touchdown against the Cowboys, and that will likely be the first of many. He should be viewed as Taylor's eventual replacement, even this season, if Taylor is traded before the November 10 deadline.
Like with Taylor, McGowan needs the ball more. Head coach Shane Steichen has continued to throw the ball too much, even though the passing game is ineffective. If Indianapolis ran the ball more, it might have stolen an extra win or two.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
While the Colts' pass rush has been inconsistent this season, even within games themselves, Adebawore has continued his rise from last season into a very good 2026. The team rewarded him with an extension recently, and the 25-year-old will stay with Indy through at least 2028.
The defensive lineman has had at least four quarterback pressures in three games and is playing the best run defense of his career. He has already tied his career-high with four sacks and nearly doubled his previous high in quarterback hits (11 in 2026, six in 2025).
He should now be viewed as a long-term starter, basically taking the place of the traded DeForest Buckner. While the team hopefully rebuilds successfully, Adebawore will be a cornerstone player in that rebuild.
Spencer Shrader
Shrader earned the kicker spot with his preseason play, and the risk was real because Blake Grupe was very good at the end of last season for Indianapolis and was good again in training camp. Keeping Shrader was one of the few gambles that have paid off this season, though.
Showing a much stronger leg than he did through five games last season, Shrader is eight for nine on field goal attempts beyond 50 yards, including a 59-yarder against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. The kicker has only missed one other field goal attempt, keeping the Colts in games they might not otherwise have been in.
In fact, if Shrader keeps kicking the way he has through nine games, he could be named All-Pro, almost single-handedly salvaging a season that has been horrid for fans.
Chris Ballard was let go
The Colts had the same general manager since 2017, kept Ballard around into the 2026 season, and did this despite the GM only making the playoffs twice. Most other organizations would not have been satisfied with so little success, but Indy kept putting fans through the wringer each year for no apparent reason.
The surprise with Ballard was that the team fired him in the middle of this season instead of waiting until the end. This could have been done to open the door to allow for the trades of DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson. Would Ballard have made those moves?
Now Indianapolis has a Chris Ballard-less future, and that probably means far more success than the Colts have had over the last decade. Finally, the future looks brighter, though it might just take a bit of time to get there.
Add us as a preferred source on Google