The Indianapolis Colts started the season as one of the biggest surprises of the NFL. They got off to an 8-2 start and were playing like one of the best teams in the league, with the help of a surprisingly good Daniel Jones. Now, just four games later, analysts doubt Indy will even make the playoffs, and the entire narrative around the team has shifted.
This was exemplified in a recent ESPN piece, where insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano talked about various things they were hearing throughout the league. When speaking about the Colts, Graziano admitted that he’s curious to see what happens if Indianapolis loses its final three games and finishes under .500.
He wondered if that could lead to a change either in the front office or on the coaching staff, noting that Carlie Irsay-Gordon is now calling the shots.
ESPN questions if Colts will make massive changes if struggles continue
Whether anyone is ultimately fired or not, the fact that Indianapolis went from the favorite for a ton of awards to a team with people possibly on the hot seat in the span of a month shows how brutal the business of the NFL is. Once results start to falter, questions start being asked. That’s what happened in Indianapolis over the last month.
After the 8-2 start, the Colts had a bye week, and nothing has been the same since. They have lost four straight games, and also lost Daniel Jones to an Achilles injury. That, of course, led to the team infamously turning to 44-year-old Philip Rivers. Now, Indy has to finish the season with games against the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans — all likely playoff teams.
It’s very likely the Colts finish the season with an 8-9 record and a seven game losing streak. If that happens, questions will have to be answered this offseason.
Firings might not happen, since the team showed so much promise in the first half of the season, but this speculation by the insider is a sign that the heat could be turned up on the front office and the coaching staff going into 2026.