Indianapolis Colts fans likely safely assume that the team needs to make the playoffs for head coach Shane Steichen and/or general manager Chris Ballard to keep their jobs entering 2027. Ballard could be the first to go for reasons offered in the next paragraph. Steichen does have his own issues, though.
Ballard has been working for Indy since 2017, and his job is to build rosters capable of winning titles. That is the task of every GM. Ballard hasn't come close to a Super Bowl, however, and only twice has his team made the playoffs. The last time was in 2020.
Steichen, though, is just 7-22 against teams with winning records at the time the Colts are playing them. That's, well... awful. The issue with 2026 is the schedule. While Indy starts off with a few games at home, the road schedule gets brutal after that. Steichen has to find a way through that.
Indianapolis Colts face brutal stretch in 2026 that could cost Shane Steichen his job
The NFL, in all its wisdom, has handed Indy a weird schedule. Between Weeks 4 and 8, the team will travel to play the Washington Commanders in London and then play likely an improved Steelers team in Pittsburgh. Following a bit of rest at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis then has to travel to play the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A promising start, and that's partly assuming quarterback Daniel Jones returns healthy early on and plays efficiently, could be followed by a series of brutally tough games. Maybe the Colts get through that well. If so, the second half doesn't look as bad.
Maybe the Indianapolis Colts can make the postseason if they can make it past the early midway point of the season. If so, Shane Steihen should be smiling. His team is probably headed to the playoffs next season.
Indianapolis Colts 2026 schedule (primetime games in bold):
- Week 1: Colts versus Baltimore Ravens at 1 pm ET on 9/13
- Week 2: Colts at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 pm ET on 9/20
- Week 3: Colts versus the Houston Texans at 1 pm ET on 9/27
- Week 4: Colts at the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Stadium in London at 9:30 am ET on 10/4
- Week 5: Colts at the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 pm ET on 10/11
- Week 6: Colts versus the Tennessee Titans at 1 pm ET on 10/18
- Week 7: Colts at the Minnesota Vikings at 1 pm ET on 10/25
- Week 8: Colts at the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 pm ET on 11/1
- Week 9: Colts versus the Dallas Cowboys at 1 pm ET on 11/8
- Week 10: Colts versus the Miami Dolphins at 1 pm ET on 11/15
- Week 11: Colts at the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 pm ET on Amazon on 11/19
- Week 12: Colts versus the New York Giants at 1 pm ET on 11/29
- Week 13: Bye week
- Week 14: Colts at the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 pm ET on 12/13
- Week 15: Colts at the Tennessee Titans at 1 pm ET on 12/20
- Week 16: Colts versus the Cincinnati Bengals TBD
- Week 17: Colts at the Cleveland Browns at 1 pm ET on 1/3
- Week 18: Colts versus the Jacksonville Jaguars TBD
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