There are so many ways the upcoming season could go for the Indianapolis Colts. We saw a tale of two halves last year, so it is anyone’s guess how this one may turn out. We still have some time before things ramp up, so until then, we are stuck in the slow offseason. That means articles from even your favorite writers might seem like more fodder than groundbreaking coverage. It may not be the hardest hitting take, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to draw from it.
My Stampede Blue colleague,
Luke Schultheis, already broke the CBS article down in which the author, Tyler Sullivan, stated that the best and worst-case scenarios for the 2026 Colts revolve around Daniel Jones.
Best-case: Daniel Jones is ready to roll for Week 1 despite suffering an Achilles tear last season, and the Colts quarterback picks up where he left off. Jones continues to enjoy his late-career revival in Indy and has the team atop the AFC South standings for the first time since 2014, when Andrew Luck was playing quarterback.
Worst-case: The resurgence Jones enjoyed before his injury last season never returns. He isn’t able to rekindle the magic from the first half of 2025, and it shakes confidence in him as Indy’s long-term option at quarterback. The organization falls out of the playoff race and finds itself in the familiar position of wondering whether its franchise quarterback is even on the roster.
Call it what you want; a mild take or simply stating the obvious, but it gets me thinking. We can all say Daniel Jones is the key to the Colts 2026 season. We can also swap out the name “Jones” and “Colts” for any other quarterback and team pairing and be correct. That isn’t the takeaway for me. Which scenario is more likely? That’s what I’m interested in.
For many, the decision will be whether you are someone who is optimistic or someone like me who prefers the euphemism of a realist over simply being negative. The optimist will lean into what they saw to start the season. With a healthy quarterback, the Colts were humming. A broken fibula slowed the train down until the ultimate disaster struck and the season was lost. That’s bad luck. With another year under his belt, Jones could be even more comfortable than before.
The aforementioned realists might point to the early, easy schedule and Jones’ past health concerns and inefficiency. The roster hasn’t dramatically changed to indicate a new direction, so fans are left to decide whether the first part of the season was fool’s gold or the second half was bad luck.
We all understand the season depends on Daniel Jones: what he looks like post-injury, how he plays, and what version we will get. The real debate is what you think. Is Jones set for great things upon his return, revitalized with 100% health and ready to level up in year two? The contrary is that we see an overpriced quarterback crash out. Of course there is a middle ground, but go wherever your gut leads you. Are your instincts leading you to believe the Colts are in store for the “best-case” or the “worst-case” in 2026?
