According to PFF, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen is ‘among the league’s six head coaches currently on the hot seat ahead of the upcoming 2026 campaign’ :
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Like other names on this list, it was fairly shocking that Indianapolis retained both Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard this offseason. Over his three years calling the shots with the Colts, Steichen has mustered only a 25-26 record with zero playoff appearances.
The rationale for bringing Steichen back is likely the Colts’
hot start in 2025, when the team began 8-2 and led the league in offensive EPA per play through the first 13 weeks. But suffering seven straight losses, including after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles, raised lots of concern about Steichen’s leadership.
The Colts re-signed both Jones and receiver Alec Pierce to monster contracts in March and have other talent like Jonathan Taylor, Sauce Gardner, Quenton Nelson and Laiatu Latu on the roster, but real questions permeate a defense that finished 21st in success rate. It’s tough to envision Steichen making it to a fifth year in blue if Indianapolis either starts flat or doesn’t reach the postseason.
Entering his 4th season with the Colts, Steichen has compiled a slighly under .500 record at 25-26 (.490). He has yet to make the playoffs with Indianapolis, let alone win the AFC South. The Colts narrowly missed an AFC playoff berth back in 2023 during Steichen’s first season as their head coach.
That being said, if there’s one thing that Steichen has done well, it’s maintained a pretty good Indianapolis offense, despite having constant, unexpected change at the Colts starting quarterback position.
With rookie first rounder Anthony Richardson missing 13 starts in 2023, backup Gardner Minshew became a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career under Steichen’s tutelage. With Richardson (11 starts) and 39-year-old backup Joe Flacco (6 starts), the Colts still ranked 17th in league offense in 2024, averaging 22.2 points per game.
Last season, under Steichen, Indianapolis boasted a historically elite league offense, with former first round castoff Daniel Jones in the midst of a career year in his debut Colts campaign. However, while critical injuries to Jones eventually took a lot of the shine off the Colts once well oiled offense, in the final stretch, he still managed to have success with a 44-year-old Philip Rivers coming out of retirement for 3 starts after having not started in 5 years, and rookie 6th rounder Riley Leonard making his first career start in the regular season finale.
It’s fairly clear that Colts team owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her two sisters in ownership still think very highly of Steichen, who’s been able to adapt no matter who’s been playing starting quarterback for the Colts, and still achieved pretty good success relatively speaking.
That being said, Irsay-Gordon was ‘pissed’ how the Colts ended last season, when the team lost 7 straight games and fell out of playoff contention—noting that the latest collapse clearly wasn’t up to the franchise’s standards.
Facing a potential ‘make-or-break’ season, Steichen may have to steer the Colts to the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2020, when Rivers first played quarterback for Indianapolis. Beating the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, both of whom Steichen is 2-10 against career wise collectively, would go a long way toward helping his Colts cause and continued job security in Indianapolis.
