Feb. 20, 2026, 3:59 p.m. ET
The Indianapolis Colts’ Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen will be speaking at the NFL combine on Tuesday.
Ballard will meet with the media at 4:30 PM ET and Steichen at 5:30 PM ET.
This will be the first time that either has spoken publicly since each of their respective end-of-season press conferences.
After ending the 2025 season on a seven-game losing streak, the Colts missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. However, the belief internally is that the success this team had through the first half of the season can be replicated and sustained, which is in large part why both Ballard and Steichen are back for another season.
Offensively, we saw the full capabilities of the Steichen offense through 10 games, with this unit being one of the most productive in football. And while injuries will never be an excuse, they were a harsh reality for the 2025 Colts.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon also mentioned how Ballard adapted his roster-building approach last offseason, which included being more aggressive. From the sounds of it, we could see a similar approach this offseason, with the Colts positioned relatively well with the salary cap.
Although Ballard and Steichen will be returning, that doesn’t mean there won’t be changes made to the roster.
There are some veterans on the team whose statuses for the upcoming season could be viewed as up in the air if the Colts choose to pursue additional salary cap savings.
The defensive side of the ball, in particular, also needs to be reshaped at a few positions. As Ballard put it, there is a need for “more fuel” up front, while getting younger and faster overall on defense will be a priority.
Beyond any roster changes that are made, this Colts team has to learn how to be at its best down the stretch. Irsay-Gordon stressed the need for this team to be able to better handle adversity. Not only last season, but in a few others in recent years, in those must-have-it games late in the year, the Colts have failed to come through.