Indianapolis Colts principal owner/CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon isn't making any sweeping changes within the organization, as head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard are being retained for the 2026 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.
Steichen and Ballard’s futures were in down following an 8-9 season that began so splendidly with a 7-1 NFL-leading start but crumbled with mounting injuries to quarterback Daniel Jones, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and CB Sauce Gardner, who was acquired when the Colts went all-in on the season and traded away two first-round picks to the New York Jets at the November trade deadline.
In the end, Ballard and Steichen’s best efforts to salvage the season saw Indy finish outside of the playoffs for the third straight season under Steichen. Indy hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020 and Steichen is now 25-26 with the Colts in three seasons. Ballard is 70-78 in nine seasons with two playoff appearances.
Steichen and Irsay-Gordon are slated to meet with the Indy media on Monday, while Ballard will hold an end-of-year news conference later in the week.
Though the Colts’ initial success was buoyed by Jones’ career resurrection, the QB’s injuries -- first a broken fibula that hampered his play and then a torn Achilles that ended his season in December -- signaled the team’s downturn and was symbolic of Indianapolis’ signal-calling woes since the shocking retirement of Andrew Luck in the 2019 preseason. Obviously that extends to before Steichen’s arrival, but he was an attractive candidate for the franchise thanks to his work with Jalen Hurts during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2022 Super Bowl run.
Steichen’s first year with the Colts in 2023 brought the promise of No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson. Richardson has been plagued by injuries and underwhelming play. Steichen garnered praise during Richardson’s rookie season when his QB was injured and he coaxed a Pro Bowl season out of journeyman QB Gardner Minshew. Richardson struggled in 2024 and was even benched for a time, but production didn’t improve under veteran Joe Flacco.
Competition in the form of Jones was brought in to challenge Richardson this past offseason. Jones won the starting job and thrived in Steichen’s offense, but a season-ending injury led to the Colts calling Philip Rivers out of a retirement. Though he played well, Rivers’ play equated to three close losses with the Colts tumbling from a team with Super Bowls hopes to getting officially eliminated in Week 17. In a Week 18 defeat to the Houston Texans, rookie Riley Leonard did show some promise -- and a large arm.
Almost as frequently as Ballard has had to shuffle through quarterbacks, he had to put new coaches on the sideline: Chuck Pagano (2012-2017, with one year spent with Ballard); Frank Reich (2018-2022); Jeff Saturday (2022 interim coach). He won't have to find a replacement for Steichen, though, as the union will remain in tact as the Colts aim to turn things around in 2026.
A 2026 QB quandary remains considering Jones’ injury and impending free agency, along with Richardson’s scuttled development. With Jones having played his best career ball with Steichen, it would seem more likely he would return with Steichen sticking around.
However, Ballard and Steichen will start the offseason with the handicap of having no first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 after the Colts sent both to the Jets in exchange for Gardner. Gardner has been injured more than he’s played since coming to Indiana, though.
As the final game of the Colts' 2025 season has ticked away, the process of rebounding in 2026 will remain Ballard and Steichen's to undertake.