The Indianapolis Colts avoided making sweeping organizational changes after their 2025 struggles, but the heat surrounding two of the franchise’s leading decision-makers has hardly disappeared.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell included head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard among 23 NFL figures with the most to gain or lose during the 2026 season.
"Ballard has shown that he can deliver some of the players that can get the Colts there, but he has yet to adequately replace Andrew Luck," Barnwell wrote. "Steichen's offense is a film favorite and can look great for stretches, as it did in 2025, but he hasn't been able to overcome the quarterback issues.
Indianapolis appeared headed toward a postseason breakthrough last year after reaching
its bye at 8-2. Ballard even dealt two first-round picks to the New York Jets for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner as the Colts pushed their chips toward a playoff run.
Everything unraveled from there.
Quarterback Daniel Jones struggled with turnovers before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner missed significant time with a neck injury, and Gardner was limited after his arrival.
The Colts lost their final seven games and missed the playoffs.
As Barnwell noted, Indianapolis has won only one postseason game since the end of the 2014 season.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts' Steichen, Ballard among NFL figures with most at stake in 2026
