Honestly, if you took a nap in November and woke up in January, you’d think you were looking at two completely different football teams. One was a juggernaut. The other was, well, a disaster.
The Colts record this year finished at a lackluster 8-9, leaving them in third place in the AFC South and out of the postseason for the fifth year running. But that number doesn't even come close to telling the full story of what happened in Indianapolis during the 2025-26 season. It was a year defined by an owner's passing, a quarterback carousel, and a late-season collapse that felt like a slow-motion car wreck.
The 8-2 Mirage and a Historic Collapse
Early on, Shane Steichen looked like a genius. The Colts were 8-2. They were flying. They even went to Berlin and beat the Falcons in an overtime thriller. People were actually talking about them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
The start was statistically historic. For the first time since 2013, Indy actually won their season opener, thumping the Dolphins 33-8. They became the first team in the history of the NFL to score on their first ten possessions of a season. Ten! You just don't see that kind of efficiency. By late October, after a dominant 38-14 win over the Titans, the vibes were immaculate.
Then the bye week happened in Week 11. And everything just... stopped.
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The Colts became the first team in NFL history to finish with a losing record after starting 8-2. They lost seven straight games to end the year. It started with an overtime heartbreaker to the Chiefs and spiraled into a Week 18 loss to the Texans. It was the kind of tailspin that leaves a fan base staring at the ceiling at 2:00 AM wondering what went wrong.
The Quarterback Puzzle: Jones, Rivers, and Richardson
Usually, when a team collapses like this, you look at the guy under center. This year, the Colts had a few.
Daniel Jones ended up taking the bulk of the snaps, finishing with over 3,100 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. On paper, he was fine. He even had a 100.2 passer rating. But the offense grew stagnant during the losing streak.
Then you had the nostalgia trip: Philip Rivers. Yes, that Philip Rivers. He came back for a cameo, appearing in three games and even throwing four touchdowns. It was fun for a minute, but a 43-year-old quarterback isn't a long-term strategy.
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The real elephant in the room was Anthony Richardson. After an injury-riddled 2024, the hope was that 2025 would be his breakout. Instead, he barely touched the field, recording just two pass attempts all year. While he’s still the "future," the present involved a lot of Riley Leonard and a rotation that never allowed the offense to find a rhythm when the pressure mounted in December.
Jonathan Taylor vs. The World
If there was one bright spot in the Colts record this year, it was Jonathan Taylor. The man was a machine. He racked up 1,585 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 323 carries.
In Week 10 against Atlanta, he put the team on his back with 244 rushing yards. He also officially passed Edgerrin James for the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history, hitting 69 for his career. When the passing game stalled, Taylor was often the only reason the scoreboards were moving at all.
Key Performance Stats for 2025
- Jonathan Taylor: 1,585 yards, 18 TDs (The absolute engine of the team).
- Alec Pierce: 1,003 receiving yards (Finally broke the 1k barrier).
- Quenton Nelson: 2nd Team All-Pro (Still the best in the business).
- Laiatu Latu: 8.5 sacks (A bright spot on a defense that struggled late).
The defense, led by coordinator Lou Anarumo, started strong but eventually buckled. They finished 21st in the league in points allowed. While Quenton Nelson earned another Pro Bowl nod and Latu showed flashes of being a cornerstone pass rusher, the secondary was routinely torched in the final month of the season.
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Life After Jim Irsay
We have to talk about the shift at the top. The death of long-time owner Jim Irsay in May 2025 cast a shadow over the entire organization. This was the first season where ownership was split between his daughters: Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kalen Jackson, and Casey Foyt.
Transitions like that are never easy. While Chris Ballard remained the GM, the atmosphere around West 56th Street felt different. There was a sense of "win now" to honor Jim's legacy, which might explain the 8-2 start, but the depth issues that have plagued this roster for years finally caught up to them in December.
What’s the Move for 2026?
Looking at the Colts record this year, it’s easy to be cynical. You don't just "accidentally" lose seven games in a row. But there’s a foundation here. You have a top-three running back in his prime. You have a young defensive front that can get to the quarterback.
The reality? The Colts are stuck in NFL purgatory. They aren't bad enough for a top-three pick, but they aren't consistent enough to make the dance.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason:
- Make a Call on Richardson: You can't head into 2026 with "maybe" at QB. Either he's the guy and you design the whole scheme around him, or you move on.
- Fix the Secondary: Allowing 24.2 points per game won't cut it in the AFC South, especially with the Texans' explosive offense.
- Draft WR Depth: Alec Pierce had a career year, and Michael Pittman Jr. is reliable, but the drop-off after them is steep.
- Aggressive Free Agency: With the new ownership structure, the Colts need to show the fan base they are willing to spend to fix the late-season fatigue that killed this campaign.
The 2025 season will be remembered as the "Year of What If." What if they had won just one game in December? What if Richardson had stayed healthy? For now, Indy fans are left with an 8-9 record and a long winter of questions.