How much do the Indianapolis Colts trust head coach Shane Steichen? The answer is seemingly quite a lot, but how well his team does in 2026 is likely a factor in whether many people in the organization still have jobs next offseason. Steichen needs to get to the playoffs.
Indy fans know he can design a good offense. We saw that in the first half of the 2025 season when the group was humming at a historic level through the first eight games. The team was 7-1 before injuries brutally affected the season. One of those injuries was to starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
Before Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14, he was playing with a broken fibula that limited what he could do. Now, he is a free agent, and while Indianapolis hopes it can re-sign him, no guarantee exists that it will happen. The good news is that his replacement might already be on the team.
Indianapolis Colts should give Riley Leonard a chance to start in 2026
That replacement isn't Anthony Richardson, either. The team has tried to play Richardson a few times, and he can't stay healthy. When he was available for games, he wasn't consistently good.
Instead, it could be Riley Leonard who replaces Jones, if needed. The team seemed not to have much trust in the former Notre Dame product for much of 2025. To be fair, he was a late-round draft pick last year with questionable accuracy. He had good athleticism, but Indianapolis had already learned with Richardson that an athletic quarterback who lacks accuracy is doomed to fail.
Only, when finally given the chance to play in Week 18 against the starters on a great Houston Texans defense, Leonard didn't just survive, he thrived. He appeared to have been capable of taking all the reps that Philip Rivers did after Jones was injured, and the team signed the long-retired Rivers.
The Colts scored 30 points in Week 18, the most the Texans gave up all season. Houston rested many of its starters in the second half, but Indy had 17 points at halftime when Leonard was going up against Houston's best. Those 17 points were more than eight of the Texans' opponents scored in a full game this season.
In other words, what Riley Leonard and his offense were accomplishing was real. The Texans weren't trying to not play well; Leonard was just outplaying them for most of the game. The quarterback did have three turnovers, which would need to be changed, but it was his first start of his career. He also produced three touchdowns (one rushing).
More importantly, Leonard seemed to have a full grasp of the Indianapolis Colts offense and threw with excellent accuracy (he was 21 of 34 passing for 270 yards). He was also able to escape pressure by using his athleticism. Will he start in 2026? Unlikely, as the team wants Daniel Jones to come back. If Jones doesn't return, Leonard should get a look as QB1.