What many Indianapolis Colts thought about Shane Steichen since he became the team's head coach in 2023 has turned out to be true. The same year he was hired, Indy took quarterback Anthony Richardson in the first round. Richardson's issues now are seemingly not Steichen's fault.
The truth is that the coach simply needed a decent quarterback who could work well in Steichen's offensive scheme. Richardson couldn't and likely never will. Daniel Jones can. Jones signed as a free agent this past offseason, and he has helped Indianapolis get off to an 8-2 start.
This all implies that while Steichen, a former offensive coordinator who was hired to completely remake the Colts' offense, had a .500 record through two seasons, his system and coaching were better than how good Indy seemed. With the head coach and the right quarterback, Indianapolis is going to be good.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen could get a major award this season
Many national pundits appear to be waking up to that fact. But the last two seasons being underwhelming have made Steichen look even better in 2025. According to Sports Illustrated NFL analyst Mike Kadlick, the Colts coach shouldn't simply be in the Coach of the Year running; he should be the leader by a wide margin just past the halfway point of the season.
Kadlick writes, "...the Colts' 2025 turnaround has been arguably the league's most impressive, and Steichen deserves the credit—and perhaps an award at season’s end—for leading the charge."
Even while having a bit of a dip in the last two games because of Daniel Jones' sudden penchant to have a lot of turnover-worthy plays, Indianapolis leads the league in scoring at 32.1 points per game, which is nearly a point better than the second-place Detroit Lions, and in yards per play at 6.4. This is all due to Shane Steichen's scheme and his play-calling.
The good part is that the offensive success shouldn't change much in the next couple of years, assuming most of the key players stay healthy. One of those is running back Jonathan Taylor, the best player in the NFL at his position. Indy also needs to re-sign Jones and hope he corrects his challenges in the last two games.
But as long as the Indianapolis Colts have a quarterback who can personify Steichen's game-planning, the team is going to be good. With a little bit better defense, Indianapolis's 2025 success could pale in comparison to the greatness of 2026 and beyond.