The Indianapolis Colts are keeping Shane Steichen on board.
Following the Colts’ Week 18 overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, team owner Jim Irsay declared on Sunday that Steichen would continue to lead the team into the 2025 season, marking his third stint in that role. Chris Ballard, who has served as general manager for eight seasons, will be kept in his position, Irsay added.
After a 45-33 loss to the New York Giants in Week 17 of a shaky 8-9 season, there were more rumors about Steichen’s job security.
The Colts were knocked out of playoff contention by their loss to the Giants, marking the fourth straight year without a postseason appearance for the franchise.
Steichen, with a 17-17 record over his two seasons in Indianapolis, has managed to keep the Colts in playoff contention through at least Week 17 in both years of his tenure.
After joining the Colts following a successful stint as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator, Steichen oversaw the team’s selection of Anthony Richardson as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Overflowing with athleticism and talent, Richardson was severely short on experience. Although Richardson’s play showed promise early in his rookie season, a shoulder ailment kept him out for a large portion of it.
But with backup Gardner Minshew leading the team until the last week of the season, Steichen emerged as a potential Coach of the Year candidate. This season was very different at quarterback, as Richardson struggled with accuracy and was benched for a short time in the middle of the season in favor of Joe Flacco, who also struggled and quickly returned to the starting lineup, but the team did not win enough games to qualify for the postseason.
According to a Dec. 29 report by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Richardson is anticipated to start for the team in 2025. Ballard and Steichen will also return.
Two players stood out and produced a ton of work, despite the Colts 2024 season ending in terrible failure.
Numerous positives can be encapsulated as the Colts organization and supporters continue to reflect on the conclusion of the 2024 season. The individual players who stepped up and gave it their all are the most noteworthy benefits. While the 2024 season was undoubtedly disappointing, two players stood out for the Colts in particular. This past season demonstrated that the Colts still have talented players on their roster, if nothing else.
Jonathan Taylor is one of two Colts 2024 season superstars.
The fact that Jonathan Taylor is still regarded as a running back superstar in this league is probably not shocking. He is still incredibly productive even though he has fallen short of his historic 2021 season. If Taylor hadn’t missed three games due to injury, he would have been on track to have a season similar to 2021. He concluded the 2024 season with 11 touchdowns and 1,431 running yards. In addition, he averaged 102.2 rushing yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry. In terms of rushing yards, Taylor placed fourth in the league. He tied for sixth on the longest run of 70 yards and third on rushes of more than 40 yards.
A Pro Bowl nomination was well-earned for this caliber of performance. Following his 2023 off-season controversy, which ultimately resulted in his three-year deal, Taylor was viewed with some mistrust. Whether he could remain an outstanding back was the question that surrounded him. The Colts will expect him to continue producing at this level in 2025, as the answer was evident in 2024.
Alec Pierce
Alec Pierce, a third-year wide receiver, has quietly been added to the star power. In 2024, Colts supporters finally got to witness his breakthrough season. Pierce finished third on the team in receptions (37), and he led the team in total receiving yards (824). In addition, he concluded the 2024 season with seven touchdowns, surpassing his career total prior to that season. In addition, he was second in the league in receptions of 40 yards or more, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase, and he led the league in yards per reception (22.3). Additionally, 32 of his 37 receptions resulted in first downs. The third-highest first-down percentage among receivers with ten or more receptions was 86.4.
It goes without saying that Pierce had a tremendous season, and hopefully 2024 was only the start. Since 2021, when T.Y. Hilton left Indianapolis, the Colts have been without a true deep-threat receiver. Anthony Richardson, the Colts’ young quarterback, will benefit if they have truly met their match. According to 2024, Pierce has the ability to be the receiver that a rookie quarterback can throw the 50-50 ball to.
Watching the Colts wide receivers in 2025 will be exciting. Their number one, Michael Pittman Jr., will return healthy. Over the center, Josh Downs will remain a formidable presence. Despite having a rocky start to his rookie campaign, Adonai Mitchell showed enough promise to complement Pittman. Pierce, who developed into a deep-threat receiver, is the only remaining player. When paired with Taylor’s explosive skills, they will be a formidable team to watch in Indianapolis.
