Two months ago the Indianapolis Colts were 7-1 with the top seed in the AFC and just a few wins away from their first playoff appearance in several years. But before they could even play their 16th game of this season, the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs.
The Houston Texans just defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, rising to 11-5 on the season and in position to challenge the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC South title. More importantly, their win made it impossible for the 8-7 Colts to catch any other team in the race for the final wild spot in the playoffs.
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At best, the Colts can finish 10-7 if they win out. While it would be nice, it won’t be enough as multiple teams have at least 11 wins right now.
“History” made
What’s worse for the Colts is that their collapse from 7-1 and 8-2 to eliminated marks just the sixth time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that a team has started 7-1 and missed the playoffs.
The last team to pull off such a “feat” were the 2012 Chicago Bears, who punished longtime head coach Lovie Smith by firing him. Colts head coach Shane Steichen could find his days numbered if he doesn’t have the team looking sharp over these final two weeks.
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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 12: Head Coach Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts looks on during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
But the man with a far more uncertain future and one who is likely on an even hotter seat than Steichen is general manager Chris Ballard. His midseason trade with the New York Jets for All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner blew up in his face. Injuries limited Gardner to just a couple of games at the cost of their next two years’ worth of first-round picks.
As a result, the Colts first-round pick, which will be a top-18 selection or better depending on these final two weeks, won’t be able to help them retool.
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Worse still, the Colts are basically in quarterback hell heading into the offseason. All of their starters are either hurt or ineffective and current starter Philip Rivers is probably going to go back to retirement for good in a few weeks.
Will this go down as the most disappointing season in Colts history?
This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.