As per usual, a handful of NFL head coaches will enter another season on the hot seat. Aaron Glenn (New York Jets), Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), and Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals) are assuredly on that current list, but the Indianapolis Colts are also on the clock.Â
Shane Steichen and Colts general manager Chris Ballard are on the hot seat going into the 2026-27 regular season. How last season ended for the Colts wasn't all on Steichen, nor should it be. That said, results make or break head coaching tenures, and Steichen's overall results haven't looked great in Indianapolis.
However, that doesn't mean that Steichen's ability to call plays or run the Colts hasn't had its positives. Daniel Jones is proof of that, and Jones is why Steichen may actually stand out as a solid playcaller, according to a longtime NFL analyst and film producer. Furthermore, if Steichen holds on to his job past next season, Jones may turn out to be the driving reason.Â
NFL Films' Greg Cosell praises Indianapolis Colts' HC Shane Steichen for teaching the game the right way
Jones never looked better in his career before tearing his Achilles tendon midseason last year. He was a league leader in yards and touchdowns, and the Colts offense was looking like one of the best in the league. Was that solely because Jones was in a different system? Or did Steichen play a significant role in Jones's new look?
It could be both. It could be that Jones was simply a victim of the New York Giants' inability to develop a quarterback, and with the Colts, the ways of an NFL quarterback became clearer for Jones. If that's the case, we'll find out next season if Jones can pick up where he left off.Â
It could also have a lot to do with Steichen, and Greg Cosell, who is highly regarded by NFL insiders for his depth of football knowledge, believes it does. Cosell recently said on Russ Tucker's podcast that Steichen should be credited for his play-calling and his ability to get the best out of quarterbacks.
“It's really interesting to me when you see a coach that's really good in the pass game and the way that he can present to the quarterback throwing to the primary read more often than not, and that's a function of schematics and putting together a pass game," Cosell said. "And obviously, as in any profession, some guys do it better than others.
"Last year," Cosell added, "until Daniel Jones got hurt, we saw him being decisive as he's ever been, and that's a function of the concepts and how it's taught."
According to Cosell, Steichen's teaching methods have worked on Jones, despite the short window we've seen the former Giant's quarterback play with the Colts. Cosell, a prudent student of the game of football, clearly saw enough from Jones to persuade him to view Steichen as a solid playcaller.
This suggests Colts fans should expect the same situation to play out again, now that Jones is healthy and expected to start in Week 1.
Steichen's job security might hinge on what Jones does on the field. If he puts up solid numbers, as he did last year, Jones looks like a more than competent quarterback, and the Colts' offense is putting points on the scoreboard, which proves Cosell's point. The only question is: if Jones is playing great, will it even matter if the Colts miss the playoffs again? Or can Jones save Steichen regardless?Â
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