Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2025 win totals. Up next: the Colts.
It’s now or never for many key figures with the Indianapolis Colts.
After a disappointing 2024 season, the pressure is on coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard to get the team back in the postseason for the first time in five seasons. Ballard is a respected executive in the league, but the Colts have only made the playoffs twice since he was hired in 2017, partly because the team has failed to land a franchise quarterback since Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement ahead of the ’19 season.
Ballard hired the offensive-minded Steichen to solve the team’s QB problem and develop Anthony Richardson, but the 2023 No. 4 pick has produced mixed results the past two seasons. The team is hoping newcomer quarterback Daniel Jones either brings out the best in Richardson or decisively wins the quarterback competition this summer.
With competent quarterback play, the Colts have the pieces to dethrone the Houston Texans for the AFC South crown. Running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Josh Downs have been waiting for a quarterback to show consistency in Indianapolis.
It’s also possible we’ll see changes in Indianapolis following the death of longtime owner Jim Irsay, if his three daughters who are now running the team want to put their own stamp on the franchise. Carlie Irsay-Gordon was announced as the principal owner and CEO, but all three sisters, including Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, will share leadership duties, according to the team’s news release.
Let’s take a closer look at the Colts.
What’s at stake this season: Steichen’s future in Indy
The Colts were a fourth-down conversion away from making the postseason in Steichen’s first season with the team. Despite the heartbreaking Week 18 loss to the rival Texans, there were high hopes in 2024 because of how Steichen kept the team afloat with backup Gardner Minshew II filling in for the injured Richardson for most of the season.
But fortunes quickly change in the NFL. After plenty went wrong last year, Steichen could be starting his third season on the hot season and might need to develop a reliable quarterback to maintain his job security in Indianapolis.
Not only did Richardson drastically regress last season, but the defense was among the worst in the league, allowing 361.2 yards per game, fourth-most in the NFL. Steichen fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and replaced him with Lou Anarumo, the former longtime defensive play-caller of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Steichen and his coaching staff need to develop more cornerstone players, not just at quarterback.
Biggest question going into training camp: Who will be the starting QB?
This question might have been answered last week after Steichen revealed that Richardson will be sidelined for the foreseeable future because he aggravated the right shoulder joint he injured in 2023.
This now puts Jones in the driver’s seat to win the starting job this summer. The Colts must be running out of patience with Richardson, who not only has durability concerns, but also questions about his work ethic. Richardson lost plenty of trust from the team following his infamous helmet tap last season.
Richardson did, however, show plenty of promise in his rookie season, although that was short-lived because the season-ending shoulder injury limited him to four games.
Jones has also dealt with injuries throughout his career, but he’s at least more consistent as a passer when compared to Richardson, who’s barely completed 50% of his passes across two seasons. Jones has completed 64.1% of his passes over 69 starts in six seasons.
Perhaps Steichen, who helped with the development of Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts at his previous coaching stops, can get the most from Jones, the 2019 first-round pick of the New York Giants.
Sources are saying: Edge rusher Laiatu Latu has leveled up
“Laiatu has worked his tail off getting bigger and stronger. He is also excited to see how much he fits in the new system under coach Lou Anarumo. I would expect a big jump,” —a source close to the 2024 first-round pick
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: Latu
The Colts likely expected more contributions from Latu, who recorded four sacks and 32 tackles last season as a rookie, but the first defender taken in the 2024 draft showed plenty of upside with his variety of pass-rush moves. It was easy to see his improvements late in the season. Perhaps the game will slow down for Latu and he’ll make a sizable jump in sacks for Year 2. As a team, the Colts only had a combined 36 sacks last season, tied for 25th in the league.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking: 24
Steichen is a good coach, but he’s potentially on the hot seat if the Colts don’t have a successful campaign in his third season. Richardson has struggled mightily entering his third season, completing 50.6% of his passes with 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Richardson is now in direct competition with Jones, who was brought on a one-year deal this offseason. —Matt Verderame
Fantasy pick: Tyler Warren
Warren landed where we all thought he would in the NFL draft, going to the Colts with the No. 14 pick. It’s a nice fit, as the team desperately needed a tight end and another playmaker in the passing game. While the Colts have questions at quarterback, I still like Warren to be the top rookie tight end picked in drafts. That doesn’t mean he’ll be the next Sam LaPorta or Brock Bowers, but he could be a top-12 tight end. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: over 7.5 wins (-110) via FanDuel
The Colts finished 8–9 last season, and if they can replicate that in 2025, this bet will be a winner. They were a better team in ’24 than people think, ranking 16th in net yards per play. If they can stay healthy this season and see some development from Richardson, they can take advantage of a relatively weak schedule, thanks to being in one of the worst divisions the NFL has to offer. Eight wins isn’t asking for too much from this team. —Iain MacMillan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Could Be Now or Never for Colts’ Leaders.