The Indianapolis Colts could be on the precipice of profound organizational changes, but in a best-case scenario, those don't happen. Should the team make the playoffs, few drastic changes would likely be needed.
And the team could indeed make the postseason. Some excellent talent exists all over the roster, and if key individuals remain healthy, Indy could also chase the AFC South title. Anything is possible, and that includes greatness.
For that last part to happen, some members of the franchise need to be at their best this coming season. Otherwise, they could all be gone by 2027. Below are those people who have the power to help the Colts reach a brilliant level or face the wrath once the season ends.
These Indianapolis Colts have the hottest of the hot seats for the team entering the 2026 season
General manager Chris Ballard
The odd part is that Indy fans would likely not be stunned if Ballard was signed to an extension before the season began. He is entering the final year of his contract, and one would assume he needs the team to make the playoffs to keep his job, but that could all be moot by Week 1.
Would fans turn on ownership if that happens? Potentially. Ballard has been on the job for nine years, and the Colts have made the playoffs just twice. Indy hasn't won the AFC South in that time, but every other team in the division has won the crown multiple times. At some point, the clear issue is the leadership within the organization and not the players on the field.
Ballard has struggled to draft good quarterbacks and edge rushers, but he's got an eye for offensive and defensive linemen. He has to hope those groups are good enough this season to push the team to the postseason.
Quarterback Daniel Jones
The Colts believe Jones can be the quarterback to right the franchise's path, but only to a degree. The QB was re-signed in free agency to a deal that pays him $88 million, but only over two seasons. That he wasn't signed to a longer-term contract was somewhat surprising.
In fact, he basically has a one-year prove-it deal because if he gets injured again or is far less efficient than he was in the first half of last season, Indianapolis could let him go and save $38 million for 2027. That's enough to sign a different veteran quarterback.
Jones was so excellent in the first half of 2025 that it is easy to forget that even before he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14, he was beginning to not play as well. Part of that could be because he had fractured his fibula as well, but he was turning the ball over a lot more, and the offense was not operating at the same level. He needs a full season in 2026 as he had in the first half of last season.
Head coach Shane Steichen
Steichen is somewhat hamstrung by what Chris Ballard gives him on the roster, but the head coach hasn't translated the kind of success he has had against bad teams to good teams. A good head coach can beat both types, but Steichen is just 7-22 against teams with winning records.
The shame would be if Steichen is removed from his job while Ballard keeps his. Ballard has had a far longer record of mediocrity than Steichen, so if that situation were to unfold, it would show just how much ownership overvalued the general manager.
Still, Steichen, with the right quarterback, has shown his offense can work well enough to win games. He just needs the defense to be better. If that happens, Steichen can likely guide the team to the playoffs and still be with the Colts in 2027.
Cornerback Charvarius (Mooney) Ward
Last offseason, Ward signed a three-year deal with the Colts that pays him as much as $60 million. He missed half the season last year due to sustaining three different concussions. That is no fault of his own, of course, but the risk of having two more could be too much. One might give him pause and make him think about retirement.
He is also 30 years old, an age when many players on the outside begin to diminish. The team might need to look for his successor sooner rather than later, especially because releasing Ward before the 2027 season saves the team $18 million.
The obvious hope is that Ward stays healthy and efficient, helping form one of the best outside cornerback duos in the NFL, along with Sauce Gardner. Those two alone could help the edge rush look better, as Ward and Gardner could give that position group a half-second more time to get home on the quarterback.
Wide receiver Josh Downs
Downs is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and he needs to prove he offers positional flexibility in 2026. He's mostly played the slot over his career, and he's been solid, though he took a step back in 2025. With Michael Pittman Jr. traded this offseason, Downs is likely going to be asked to show what he can do on the outside more.
Alec Pierce isn't on the hot seat despite signing a massive new four-year contract because the team can't afford to let him go if he doesn't meet expectations. But someone other than Pierce has to pick up the slack left by the Pittman trade, and that needs to be Downs.
If the former North Carolina Tar Heel receiver struggles again as he did last season, he likely won't be re-signed by the Indianapolis Colts, and his market value would diminish. If he plays well, he might not sign with Indy either, but his asking price elsewhere will be quite high.
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