On changes moving forward after a disappointing season.
“I think the way the season started was obviously pretty special, then down the stretch obviously with some unfortunate circumstances. We gotta find ways to win ugly games. I think that’s whether it is through practice, how we practice late in the season, putting those guys in situations you know in training camp suddenly change situations, two minute drill situations. You do this throughout the season and it’s maintaining that down the stretch to put those guys into multiple situations will be a big
part of that moving forward?
What problems are Offenses around the League trying to solve?
“That’s a loaded question, I think there is a lot. Obviously you go through your evaluation in the offseason. Defensively I think Defenses are doing a really good job schematically disguising coverages, multiple fronts, multiple coverages, and how you want to attack those.
I think you got to find a good job of finding indicators to do that throughout the weeks when you are game planning and obviously you go through doing your self scouting stuff this offseason. Obviously at points you are going to play this season those guys are some new coordinators and new coaches in the league and you have to try to find that stuff out.
On Tyler Warren’s impact to the Offense as a rookie and going forward.
“I think it’s huge that you can have a Tight End with his ability to run the routes and block the way he does. To get him last year in the draft the way we got him was awesome for us. What he was able to do his rookie year making the Pro Bowl was huge.
Just an elite player with elite traits. He’s an old-school throwback player, I like to call him that. Tough. Physical. Can run all the routes. At the Tight End Position it is unique that because he is inline and then flex him out wide/slot to get the matchups you want at Linebackers and Safeties. He can take advantage of that, he’s a physical presence.“
On what’s unique about Alec Pierce and what he’s seen of his development.
“I think Alec’s made huge strides in his game. Obviously he is a big home run threat for us as we know. But at the intermediate stuff the way he is coming in and out of breaks at the top of routes, the comebacks, the one on ones on the outside, running in breaking stuff. He’s just made a lot of strides in all of those areas. Even the 50-50 balls down the field, I mean he is making those 70% of the time now. He’s going up if you throw it up there he;‘s got a chance to make a play for us.
It’s been awesome to see.
I think he has a natural ability to track the ball and that’s a gift that he has as he was naturally born to be tracking the football down the field. You put it in his vicinity he’s able to rotate his body certain ways and make plays at the top.
When healthy why did it click with Daniel Jones and what he means to the franchise if he returns to the Colts?
”The way he works and the way he goes about his business and his preparation is phenomenal. What he was able to do before the injury was awesome for us. Obviously a very talented player, he sees the game well and can get us in the right plays which was huge. We are talking to him right now and hopefully some deal will come here soon.“
What identity do you want to have going forward?
”I want to be physical first and foremost. And find ways to finish games. We will go through that stuff through self scouting. I think you build your identity in the offseason going into training camp is huge. We got to find ways to win games regardless of circumstances.
Sometimes they got to be ugly. Sometimes they got to be 10 to 13. Whatever it looks like going into those games we need to find ways to win that. But like I said i want to be physical.
On what he saw from Jalen Travis’ rookie year and if he would be confident in him sliding into the starting role if Braden doesn’t return.
“There’s huge upside with Jalen, he did some good things for us. Big human. I think Tony (Sparano Jr.) does a great job with the guys up front getting them prepared each and every week. Very smart player who picked it up pretty fast so I’m excited to see what the future holds for him.”
On what he liked about the 2025 season’s start.
”Yeah I think that’s what gives me optimism about the future is that there is so much good to takeaway of the start of the year and starting 8-2. We were clicking on all cylinders and I think everyone was rolling. The way we were throwing the ball, the way we were running it, the way we were playing Defense.
I think when you look back the biggest thing too is it’s always the key to victory: Win the turnover battle. We gotta do a better job of that. Taking care of the football next year is going to be huge for us. I think we did a good job of taking balls away, but if we can do that even more so this year that will be huge for our success.
On if he is comfortable running the same Offense if Daniel Jones comes back off of an Achilles with a decrease in mobility.
”Yeah I think we feel confident in that. I feel confident he will be ready by training camp.“
What did you observe in the 2nd half of the season that was not up to snuff?
”That’s a great question. Diving into our self scout stuff right now I think at the end of the day it’s about starting with us as coaches looking at our scheme trending out those runs. You can get 2, 3 yards but when your yards per carry go up when you create those explosive runs and we got to get back to that. Creating those holes like we did earlier in this season for JT so that will be the big part of our study this offseason to maintain that.“
On a follow up of what areas standout about the Offense from the second half of the season that they need to improve on and what he can do personally to improve, Steichen commented:
”I think it’s really just the consistency throughout the year. If we can do what we did to start the season throughout the 17 game stretch it could obviously be a special season. We know it’s each week in this league you know you are not going to go for 450 yards and score 35 points. It’s finding ways to win the games regardless of what it looks like on a day to day basis out there and adjusting on the fly. The consistency which we played with at the beginning of the season to finish out the right way.
The biggest thing in this league is when you do have some adversity there, I think it’s just with everything, anyone, any organization, life, whatever it’s keeping a belief in them no matter what the circumstances are. You are going to fight through and finish it. That’s the biggest thing: we are going to have adversity every year. Whether it is injuries or something happens you got to find ways to overcome it. We are going to do a deep dive into that stuff and things are going to come up next year that probably didn’t come up last year.
You got to get through and fight through it.
With Justin Walley and Hunter Wohler coming back and hopefully debuting what are you looking forward to see from them in Year 2?
”Yeah I’m excited about both those guys, they were having tremendous Training Camps. Unfortunate circumstances with the injuries right there.
Walley is a guy who can play inside and outside for us. Feisty and sticky in coverage.
Same thing, Hunter on the back end played safety and the ball just found hi, in training camp. He had a great sense, great feel playing in the coverages we were playing. He was always in the right spot and the right time, you know. He had a helluva camp. I remember we had the joint practices against Baltimore and he had two Interceptions in the two minute drill. That was exciting to see how he played those things.
To get those guys back and get them healthy would be big for us.“
On Wohler’s injury recovery with a boot on for the season and his expectations for when he would return, Steichen elaborated:
”OTA’s we will start to work him in there and in Training camp as well. He’s attacked the rehab the right way, both him and Walley have been doing a helluva job. They’ve been in there all year working. After the season ended they were still in there everyday working and getting their bodies right. So excited for what the future holds for them.“
With new Defensive Line coach Marion Hobby reuniting with Lou Anarumo what can we expect differently on the Line?
“I’m excited about Marion Hobby. He’s got over 30 years of coaching experience, played in the league, and is obviously familiar with Coach Lou’s system as he was with him for 3 years with him in Cincinnati. I’m excited about the demeanor he’s going to bring to that room and what he’s about.
Going through the vetting process calling people that’s worked with him, just nothing but great things to say about the person, the human, the coach he is. I’m excited to see what he brings to elevate that room.
What’s the biggest thing for a first time playcaller to get used to?
”That’s a good question. It’s learning your guys. I think when you are a first time coordinator calling plays and going into a new situation it’s really learning your personnel and it’s a big part of it and you want to use those guys. And then from a down and distance point how are you setting up your plays. Area plays, play action plays, when to call certain things.
Some of the guys here (points to the press pool) have grilled me on it, there is an element and feel to calling plays and I think you have your list of plays, you have your third downs, you have your red zone section and sometimes you might be like hey I might be calling this here or first time you get to the red zone and all of a sudden they change personnel on defense and you are like I’m not going to call that play here. You have to be able to adjust on the fly and think fast is a big part of it. Once you get into the flow of it and you start to feel it if guys are good at it and you get personnel to run it, it would be really good.“
On the new group of first time Head Coaches hired this year as former coordinators and the challenges of that transition.
”When you make that transition, it’s a lot more than putting together an offense. You need to put together a whole staff. You got to meet everybody in the building. You got to do a lot of operations stuff that goes into this. You need to manage all of that from making that jump.
Once you make that jump and you get comfortable with that situation and how the operations are flowing then you can dive into the football stuff but you can never lose sight of that stuff. It’s a big part of your job as a head coach to oversee it all. So I think that is the biggest transition for these guys.“
His best advice he received when he made that transition:
”Yeah they always say, yeah you are going to have a lot on your plate when you get hired on but just don’t worry. It’s all going to get done. I do remember those nights when I first got hired where I didn’t leave the office for probably two weeks. I’m here on the phone making calls trying to get coaches hired. Trying to interview and fly guys in and out. My assistant’s doing everything he can to get flights in and out for coaches and interviews are less than 8 hours and then you are bringing in the next guy and then you going “You got the food yet?” And yeah it’s just nonstop. It’s all part of it.
With both of his coordinators interviewing for promotions across the league but coming back what does it mead to keep them in 2026?
”It’s huge. You want continuity on your staff and at the same time I always want to see those guys progress, you know what I mean? Obviously you always want guys on your staff, that’s why you hired them, you want them to get their opportunity to go be head coaches and do that thing. To have them back its a blessing.“
