Published October 19, 2026 11:59 AM
In January, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put both coach Shane Steichen and G.M. Chris Ballard on clear notice that things had to improve in 2026. Sunday’s loss to the previously-winless Titans shows that not nearly enough improvement has been made.
And now the Colts are 2-4. After last year’s 8-2 start, they’re 3-12.
In lieu of firing both Steichen and Ballard, Irsay-Gordon opted to make the move that will have the lesser impact on the team’s ability to try to turn it around. There’s no clear option on the roster to take over as interim head coach. Unless the team goes off the board (like it did when bringing in Jeff Saturday four years ago), it would be hard to make an interim hire that could try to move the Colts into position to win the AFC South.
They’ll still need to stabilize the front office, which currently is laying the foundation for the offseason plans in 2027. Those plans, however, will change once the Colts hire a new G.M. — who, if the eventual G.M. is currently working for another team, will carry into the building impressions and strategies regarding the players to target in free agency and the draft.
The first order of business will be to hire a new coach, unless Steichen turns it around. The job becomes more attractive if the new G.M. has a clean slate. Every G.M. has a personal list of coaches with whom the G.M. would like to partner. Unless the next G.M. coincidentally has “Steichen, Shane” at the top of that list, the half-measure (for now) eventually will become a full overhaul of the organization.
Anything less than a playoff appearance will result in that overhaul. The only hope for the 2026 Colts will come from the firing of Ballard lighting a fire.
The first chance to show some spark comes in six days, when the Colts visit the 5-0 Vikings in Minnesota.