The Indianapolis Colts are currently one of the NFL’s most talked‑about teams because they chose to “run it back” for 2026 despite a brutal late‑season collapse and a long playoff drought.

Quick Scoop

  • The Colts started 2025 at 8–2 with one of the league’s most explosive offenses, then lost seven straight to finish 8–9 in a historic collapse.
  • Ownership has decided to keep head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard for the 2026 season, effectively doubling down on their current plan.
  • A major storyline is the health and contract situation of QB Daniel Jones, plus injuries to stars like Sauce Gardner and DeForest Buckner, all of whom the team is banking on for a turnaround.

Latest news & front office

  • Team leadership:
    • Shane Steichen will return as head coach in 2026 after guiding the team through an 8–2 start followed by a seven‑game losing streak.
* Chris Ballard remains general manager, entering his 10th season despite a 70–78–1 record and an 11‑year playoff drought for the franchise.
  • Ownership/vision:
    • CEO Carlie Irsay‑Gordon and ownership have publicly backed the decision to stay the course and emphasized “finishing” close games as a primary point of growth.
* The organization is framing 2026 as a reset built around health, continuity, and getting more out of a roster they believe is better than the record shows.

Roster storylines & injuries

  • Quarterback situation:
    • Daniel Jones played some of the best football of his career under Steichen before suffering a fractured fibula and ruptured Achilles, which triggered the team’s slide.
* He is set to become a free agent in March 2026, but local and national reporting strongly expects the Colts to try to bring him back given his fit in the offense.
  • Other key pieces:
    • Cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner are central to the defense, but both dealt with significant injuries the team believes they can rebound from in 2026.
* The Colts also briefly turned to a short‑term veteran solution at QB late in the season, underscoring how thin things became after injuries at the position.

Big-picture challenges

  • Draft capital:
    • Indianapolis has no first‑round pick in 2026 or 2027 after trading those selections (plus WR AD Mitchell) to the New York Jets for Sauce Gardner, signaling a win‑now bet on an elite corner.
* That lack of premium picks limits how easily they can patch roster holes, increasing pressure on coaching, development, and mid‑round drafting.
  • Competitive context:
    • The Colts have not won the AFC South since 2014 and have now missed the playoffs for five straight seasons, one of the longest active droughts in the league.
* For many fans and analysts, 2026 looks like a make‑or‑break year for the current regime, even if ownership is preaching patience.

Forum & fan discussion vibes

“Run it back again… with no first‑rounders and a broken QB. What could possibly go wrong?” – typical skeptical fan tone in online debates.

Common themes in fan and forum chatter around the Indianapolis Colts right now include:

  • Skepticism about “running it back”: Many fans question keeping Ballard and Steichen after another lost season and a severe collapse, arguing the team needed a clean slate.
  • Hope tied to health: Others argue that if Jones, Gardner, Buckner and key offensive pieces stay healthy, the 8–2 version of this team shows they can be one of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses.
  • Anxiety about the future: The combination of a playoff drought, no first‑round picks, and a fragile QB situation makes 2026 feel like a high‑wire act for the franchise.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.