Through the first ten games of the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts were arguably the best team in football. They carried an 8-2 record and the league's most potent offense into a Week 12 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Daniel Jones broke his leg in that game before tearing his Achilles tendon a couple of weeks later. The Colts didn't win another game for the rest of the year.
With a healthy Jones and a moderate haul of offseason reinforcements, there's every reason to believe that Indianapolis can regain some of the magic that fans enjoyed for the first half of 2025. NFL executives seem to think that the hot start was a mirage, though.
Indianapolis Colts' low expectations are perfect bulletin board material for Shane Steichen
Mike Sando of The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled six anonymous league executives, using their votes to determine a 1-16 ranking of every team in the AFC heading into the 2026 season. The Colts ranked 11th, with four of the six voters expecting them to finish below .500 on the year. Shane Steichen's team has yet another opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.
The voters placed the Colts one spot behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and one spot ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders. Yes, the same Raiders that held the first overall pick in this year's draft. One anonymous executive said, "Daniel Jones coming off the injury, who knows? They are relying on Keenan Allen, and you just don't know. I don't think their defense is all that better."
There are certainly some flashing red lights on this Indy roster, especially on defense. Lou Anarumo is relying on multiple rookies to contribute in key spots. The unit could easily dip into dangerous territory.
On offense, it's unrealistic to expect a complete return to the first half of last season. With Michael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh and no major additions outside of Allen, the group will likely take a small step back.
Still, the Colts could easily field a top-ten offense and a league-average defense, putting them firmly in the playoff race. It seems like the rest of the league is choosing to forget how impressive this team was for the first few months of the 2025 season.
With their jobs potentially on the line, Steichen and Chris Ballard didn't need any extra motivation to win this year. But they can use the league's lack of belief in them as bulletin board material entering the season.
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