How might the Indianapolis Colts' season have gone had not so many key players been injured? By Week 14, when quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon, the team was outside on the postseason looking in. The team still had time to rebound, though.
Winning the AFC South was increasingly getting tougher to do, but making the playoffs was within reach for nearly all of the season because of a 7-1 start. The team even made it to 8-2 before losing all of its remaining games. Injuries and tougher competition took a heavy toll.
In 2026, though, Colts ownership hopes to run everything back. General manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen were retained, and the hope is that Jones will be back, too. Hope also exists that he will be ready to go early next season after tearing an Achilles tendon.
ESPN predicts the Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC South in 2026
ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler wants to give Colts fans even more reasons to believe in next season. In a recent article that included input from team executives, coaches, and scouts, Fowler and friends predict that Indianapolis will win the AFC South in 2026.
That hasn't happened since 2014 when Andrew Luck was leading the Indy offense. He had 40 touchdown passes that season and was every bit as good as the team hoped. The same could happen for Daniel Jones under Shane Steichen next year.
Jones is unlikely to get to 40 TD passes because the offense doesn't work the same way as it did in 2014, but Jones' efficiency could be as great. Plus, if cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner and defensive lineman DeForest Buckner can stay mostly healthy, the defense will be quite a bit better, too.
Ward might still be questioning whether he wants to return after suffering three concussions this season, but assuming he does and is healthy enough to do so, the Colts' cornerback group will be one of the best in the league.
The wide receiver group will be as well, especially if the team can find a way to re-sign Alec Pierce. Even without Pierce, and assuming Michael Pittman reworks his current deal, the wideouts are capable of being exactly what is needed in Steichen's scheme.
While that might be quite a few assumptions, the truth is that the Indianapolis Colts are simply due. Every other team in their division has won the AFC South at least twice since 2014. Maybe Indy could run off a six-year string of titles just to make things even.