Shane Steichen’s placement in a recent NFL head coach ranking may have Colts fans concerned for make or break 2026 season
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s placement in a recent ranking of all 32 NFL head coaches won’t inspire a ton of excitement amongst the fan base ahead of a playoff or bust season in 2026.
The Indianapolis Colts have a big season coming up. After their disastrous collapse last year, it will truly be a playoff or bust year. That goes for Shane Stiechen, Chris Ballard, and countless others with the team.
Before that year kicks off, though, Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports ranked all 32 head coaches in the NFL. Steichen’s placement in those rankings isn’t where he would want to be. However, it is exactly where Colts fans feel the team is, middle of the pack.
Shane Steichen ranks as the 15th-best head coach in the NFL, according to NBC Sports
We are trying to answer an either/or question with Shane Steichen. Does he deserve credit for keeping a dysfunctional franchise on the tracks, or blame for remaining mired at .500? I tend to believe the former, but it’s easy to indulge in the latter after Indy started 8-2 last season only to collapse out of the playoffs before Week 18 even started. It is inarguable that things could be worse in Indy. But how does Steichen make things better than his current 8-9, 9-8 carousel? Talk inevitably turns to things beyond Steichen’s control. Were GM Chris Ballard’s “lost years” more about late owner Jim Irsay than himself? Will new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon run a more traditional operation, giving Steichen more stability and leeway? The early returns on both of those questions are “no” after last November’s hyper-aggressive, ultimately ill-considered trade for Sauce Gardner. Indy now lacks the draft capital it needs to get out of quarterback purgatory. That probably ultimately means Steichen’s Colts tenure will get hit with an incomplete grade and we might not get a final answer on his coaching ability until he is recycled elsewhere.
Patrick Daugherty
NBC Sports NFL analyst
Steichen landed the 15th spot in this ranking. With a 25-26 record through his first three years as a head coach, that seems reasonable. Diving a bit deeper into the rankings, you’ll see he’s the seventh-highest-ranked AFC coach. On the negative side, he does come in as the third-ranked coach in the AFC South.
He is one of the league’s top offensive minds and has proven himself to be a respected playcaller. The big obstacle he must overcome is putting together a full season from start to finish.
Trying to replicate the early-season offensive success they had through the first eight weeks was clearly a priority for the Colts. They did what was necessary to bring back Daniel Jones at quarterback and paid Alec Pierce to make him their top wide receiver.
The team needs to get better play out of their defense, but if Steichen can get them playing at that high a level next year, his respect around the league will only grow. He’s already won games with multiple quarterbacks during his time in Indy.
Hopefully, he will finally get to experience a full season with the same player under center all season. Because if we are being honest, the Colts have let Steichen down on the field more than he has let the team down. We shall see how the 2026 season turns out, as the goal is for the Colts to play well enough to earn Steichen a fourth season as head coach.
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