The Indianapolis Colts hold an interesting place in the world of the NFL. The team plays in the Midwest, and just like their division rivals to the south, the Tennessee Titans, Indy doesn't normally get its due as far as being talked about by ESPN and other sites.
Those kinds of things tend to go toward the bigger-city teams or historical presences, such as the Green Bay Packers. The fun part is that if Indianapolis can get really good again, it will force analysts and national fans to take notice.
What doesn't help is that while many other organizations didn't wait to make any front office or coaching staff changes this offseason, Colts ownership decided to run it back yet again. General manager Chris Ballard is back for his tenth season, even though he's never won a division title. Head coach Shane Steichen is back, too.
FOX Sports NFL analyst has Indianapolis Colts' Shane Steichen among his coaches on the hot seat
The question is for how long? According to FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano, maybe not much longer. Vacchiano placed Steichen at No. 6 on his list of coaches on the hottest seats ahead of the 2026 season. The Indy coach could have ranked even higher.
He likely would have if he worked for the Dallas Cowboys or New York Jets. Working in Indianapolis might keep him safer longer than on some other teams. Case in point, the FOX analyst lists the Jets' Aaron Glenn and the Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Sirianni at numbers one and two, respectively.
Glenn inherited a terrible overall roster when he became New York's head coach last offseason. What anyone logically expected him to do to be successful is unknown, especially after his team traded one of his best players, Sauce Gardner, to the Colts midway through the season.
Glenn should probably be given a couple of seasons' grace to see if the team's numerous upcoming high-round draft picks can change the organization's narrative. He won't be, most likely. Why? Because he coaches in New York and not Indianapolis.
As for Sirianni, the Eagles are only a season removed from winning the Super Bowl. That he is so high on anyone's list of coaches on the hot seat is ridiculous. The only potential reason is that Siranni coaches in Philadelphia.
Shane Steichen is somewhat hamstrung by the players that Chris Ballard has given him. Not until 2025 did Steichen have a quarterback who could really work well in his system. That isn't the coach's fault.
What mostly is, though, is the Indianapolis Colts having a record of just 7-22 against teams with winning records during Steichen's tenure. That has to be fixed in 2026, or the coach could be looking elsewhere for employment next offseason.