The Indianapolis Colts have high hopes for the 2026 NFL season.
Sometimes, high hopes can lead to the worst heartbreak.
There’s reason for the Colts to believe. They began last season 8-2. A lot of the collapse down the stretch of the season could be attributed to Daniel Jones getting hurt, and Jones is back now.
But there also seem to be a heck of a lot of doubters out there who don’t think Indy can live up to the hot start they had a year ago.
The internal expectations, if things don’t go as well as they hope, could actually be the undoing of Indy’s current construction.
Shane Steichen, the head coach, is meant to lead this Colts team to the playoffs. If it doesn’t happen, things could get bumpy in a hurry.
Shane Steichen Predicted To Be Fired
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon broke down the NFL season ahead in a new article before Week 1, and he sees a pair of coach firings in his crystal ball.
One is Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, something that probably wouldn’t surprise anyone.
“In Glenn’s case, a leash shorter than two years is a tough break, but I just don’t see his defense improving enough after ranking 31st in points allowed in his debut season,” Gagnon writes. “Combine that with his vocal backing of Geno Smith—who is destined to struggle as an over-the-hill turnover machine—and it’s difficult to envision an increasingly impatient front office waiting for 2027 to pull the plug. The Jets are going to be buried well before winter arrives, at which point they’ll likely put their coach out of his misery and turn their attention to a big pivot in the new year.”
The second prediction from B/R is that Steichen gets fired, something that would qualify as more of a surprise.
“As for Steichen, the Colts are a ‘meh’ team trying to pose as a contender fueled by the false belief that Daniel Jones could be the guy after an aberrational hot streak that ended in a decline and a major injury in 2025,” Gagnon writes.
A Big Picture Problem
The Colts are also a part of the on-the-rise AFC South, which won’t help matters.
“They have a better chance of falling behind the surging Titans than they do of catching up to the Jaguars or Texans in 2026,” Gagnon writes.
And the tough reality is this: Steichen still hasn’t led the Colts to the playoffs.
“I doubt it takes long for the front office to realize that and bail on a guy destined for a fourth consecutive non-playoff campaign since taking over in 2023,” Gagnon writes.
A Steichen firing could have a domino effect, because Jones was pretty much his guy, too. If this season goes awry for the Colts, next year could look a heck of a lot different.
Colts Warned About Shane Steichen Firing