The Indianapolis Colts will enter the 2026 season hoping to end their five-year postseason drought. However, SI’s Connor Orr doesn’t believe that unfortunate streak comes to an end.
Orr put together his 100 predictions for the upcoming NFL season, and listed at No. 99 was the Colts missing the playoffs.
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“Despite clawing to another nine-win season with multiple quarterbacks logging serious snaps, the Colts will fail to capitalize on an incredibly aggressive offseason,” wrote Orr.
The Colts again appeared in Orr’s predictions at No. 32, in which Orr believes that the Colts start the season 0-3, playing into the eventual outcome of the season-long projection.
Indianapolis begins the year with a very tough stretch, facing Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston.
“The Colts kick off the season against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Texans. Jesse Minter’s first game as head coach will provide a schematic pitfall for the well-coached Indianapolis offense,” Orr wrote.
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While the Colts prioritized re-signing Daniel Jones, it’s been an offseason full of change for this roster.
In total, Ballard would make 10 outside free agent signings, while also acquiring Colby Wooden in a trade. Several of the Colts’ own free agents signed elsewhere, while Zaire Franklin and Michael Pittman were traded away, and Kenny Moore was released.
The Colts also made eight additions in the NFL draft and signed 12 undrafted rookies.
But even with all that roster turnover coming off another missed playoff appearance in 2025, how much — or at all — the Colts have actually improved remains to be seen, leading to the uncertainty around this team once again.
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In the midst of those changes, the Colts are ultimately banking on Jones playing at the same level that he did through the first 10 games last season, and that giving Indianapolis the boost they need to reach the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL predictions: Analyst projects Colts to miss playoffs again