Hours after a deflating season-ending loss, the Indianapolis Colts announced they are retaining head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard for the 2026 season despite continued postseason frustration.
The Colts’ HC–GM pairing remains intact, with Ballard returning for a 10th season and Steichen for a fourth, as Indianapolis searches for answers during a playoff drought that now stretches to five years.
While it signals stability from ownership — and a definitive stance on the futures of both the head coach and general manager — it’s also one that places mounting pressure on a regime that has hovered in mediocrity for nearly a decade.
Indianapolis closed the 2025 season at 8–9, marking the third straight year under Steichen that the franchise has finished with either eight or nine wins. The consistency, however, hasn’t translated into playoff appearances.
Colts own 25–26 record with no postseason trips under Steichen
The natural reaction to consecutive failure in the second part of the season is often to blame the sideline presence. However, Ballard’s tenure is even more scrutinized. Across nine seasons, his teams are 70–78–1, with just two playoff appearances, one postseason win, and no AFC South titles — a glaring omission considering every other division rival has claimed multiple crowns during his tenure.
Despite those numbers, Colts principal owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon opted against a full reset in her first full offseason since the passing of her father, Jim Irsay, choosing to retain both her head coach and general manager.
What makes the decision harder for fans to swallow is how promising the season once looked. Indianapolis opened 2025 with momentum rarely seen in recent years.
The Colts won their season opener for the first time since 2013, jumped to 7–1, and averaged 3.46 points per drive during that stretch — the second-highest mark in a season by any team this century, trailing only the 2007 Patriots. That start emboldened Ballard to push his chips in.
Steichen, Ballard Made Their Mark Early In 2025-26 Campaign
At the trade deadline, the Colts sent two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell to the New York Jets for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, a move designed to cement Indianapolis as a legitimate AFC contender.
Almost nothing went right after that.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, who had played at a Pro Bowl level early, suffered a fractured fibula before tearing his Achilles in Week 14. Gardner appeared in just two full games before a calf injury shut him down.
The Colts lost their final seven games — becoming the first team in Super Bowl history to be six games over .500 and finish with a losing record.
Ballard will return for his 10th season overseeing football operations, while Steichen enters Year 4 on the sideline. The decision extends a playoff drought that now spans five seasons, but ownership has opted against a full reset, signaling belief that the foundation — not the framework — remains sound.
That choice brings stability, but it also sharpens the stakes. With nearly a decade of middling results and mounting external pressure, the Colts are effectively tying their short-term future to the same leadership group that has yet to deliver sustained postseason success.
Colts Make Major HC, GM Decision After Disappointing Finish