Moral victories aren't adding any hardware to the trophy case for the Indianapolis Colts, but the way this team played after calling Philip Rivers out of a five-year retirement is one of the biggest indicators of just how dangerous they're capable of being in the future.
And not in the distant future, but the immediate future.
The Colts' brain trust of GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen should be considered on the proverbial "hot seat" going into the 2026 offseason, but not just because they're on the cusp of being fired.
On the contrary. The Colts believe in those guys and their ability to take this team where they want to be, which is why they got another year in 2026 and could turn heads faster than anyone expects.
Shane Steichen will be the reason the Colts turn heads quickly in 2026
To say the Colts had a lot of skeptics going into the 2025 season would be an understatement. Anthony Richardson did not exactly show well in the 2024 season and has dealt with injuries throughout his entire pro career. Daniel Jones ended the 2024 season on the Vikings' practice squad after being unceremoniously cut by the Giants in the middle of the season.
To enter training camp with those guys as your quarterback options seemed uninspiring to those on the outside looking in, but the Colts believed in their coaching, their system, and their roster.
And frankly, it paid off.
Daniel Jones was a contender for NFL Comeback Player of the Year before his injury on December 7. Jonathan Taylor proved (once again) to be one of the best offensive weapons in the entire league. And the Colts had a dynamic group of skill players being used well week after week.
The folks at FanSided.com are seeing the vision and buying Shane Steichen, in particular, as one of the biggest reasons why the Colts are likely to bounce back quickly in 2026.
"We really like Shane Steichen as a head coach. This could come back to bite us, but the Colts have a really smart guy running things. Maybe Jones is the answer, but maybe he’s not. There are some interesting names coming that could be available. Would the Ravens make Lamar Jackson available or the Bengals Joe Burrow? Losing those two first-round picks could hurt their ability to make a trade, but we think it would be in 2027 anyway. This is still a pretty young roster with some high-profile pieces everywhere. We do admit, they have the biggest chance to fall pretty quickly."
- FanSided.com
The Colts are going to face national skeptics if they choose to run it back with Daniel Jones, but that might be the best option for all parties, given the fact that Jones knows the offense well, the draft class isn't overly deep, and the Colts don't exactly have the capital to work with to make a bold trade.
But even with that in mind, this is a team that should absolutely be buying the way they played at their best in the 2025 season and leaning into that with another strong offseason. They could make a lot of noise again in 2026.