At last, the Colts’ 2025 season comes to an end, and once again, the Colts are not making the playoffs.

For the first time since 2022, the Colts will end the season on a seven-game losing streak. The last time this happened, the Colts brought in a new head coach. According to reports, that will not happen this year, but Shane Steichen will certainly be on the hot seat throughout the 2026 season as well as general manager Chris Ballard. The assignment is clear. The Colts cannot miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. In order to combat this, there are three priorities that they must address in 2026.

Three Priorities Heading into 2026

The Starting Quarterback

At the start of the season, the starting quarterback was in question. Heading into 2026, there will still be questions. Daniel Jones is going to be a free agent as he signed a one-year deal with the Colts in 2025. Therefore, if Jones wants to potentially make more money and play elsewhere, he can do that.

Much of the conversation surrounding the Colts’ future at quarterback centers on Jones being the guy. By all accounts, he has played well enough in the Colts offense for an extension. However, Jones did get injured, and there is still uncertainty surrounding when he will return. Anthony Richardson is still on the team, but has dealt with continual injuries throughout his short career. Thus making it difficult for the Colts to trade him for any value and keeping him has not panned out as expected. Riley Leonard got to start his first NFL game on Sunday, against the league’s best defense, and he played tremendously well. However, he still lacks experience and did not show enough to garner the starting quarterback role.

Whichever direction the Colts decide to go with their starting quarterback, the backup position will also be key. (That was made very clear this past season). They will have three talented, young guys who can operate well in the offense. The issue will be determining which role will suit which guy.

The Defensive Coordinator

There were reports that the Colts’ current defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been contacted about a head coaching vacancy. As a whole, the defense played better under Anarumo compared to last season. That being said, ultimately the defense struggled with consistency, and couldn’t overcome injuries down the stretch. During their seven-game losing streak, three of those losses were games in which the Colts had the lead in the fourth-quarter. These three games could’ve made a huge difference in the outlook of this season.

If anarumo does ends up coaching elsewhere, here are a few potential coordinators who would be available:

Brian Flores // Minnesota Vikings

Robert Saleh // San Fransisco 49ers

Vance Joseph // Denver Broncos

It would seem abrupt for the Colts to intiate Anarumo’s departure. He did make the defense better and the injuries, especially in the seconday played a huge role in the defense’s struggles. The main thing was that three starting cornerbacks dealt with injuries – Kenny Moore II, Charvarius Ward, and Sauce Gardner. Out of these three, two had practically season-ending injuries – Gardner and Ward. Colts fans should not be upset if the Colts decide to bring Anarumo back. However, fans should be very optimistic if the Colts part ways, as there are many talented coordinators who would be available.

Jonathan Taylor

Normally, Jonathan Taylor would never get mentioned in a negative light regarding his play. Unfortunately, after the way 2025 went, this conversation needs to happen. Taylor will be 27 years old going into the 2026 season and will be in the last year of his contract. This is significant because the longevity for running backs is quite short. Data suggests that running backs have the shortest lifespan in the NFL. For whatever reason, it is hard to sustain high level of productivity over a long period of time. Taylor has been playing at a high level since his rookie year in 2020.

In the first half of this season, he was matching an MVP-like season. Unfortunately, after the bye week, he just couldn’t muster the same level of success. On the seven-game losing streak and after his 244-yard performance against the Falcons, Taylor averaged 64 yards per game on 19 carries per game. It’s easy to blame the Colts for not utilizing him more down the stretch, but the production just wasn’t there. In short, it’s hard to utilize someone who isn’t producing.

The Colts’ offense relies heavily on run production. Therefore, it might be advantageous for them to explore some options at running back in the draft. Taylor can still serve as RB1, but the Colts will need a backup option who can be developed into the future RB1 of the franchise. The Colts don’t hold a first-round pick this year, but there will be plenty of talented guys who will be available in the later rounds. To Chris Ballard’s credit, he certainly knows how to find talent in the drafts.