The Colts Remain Perfectly Fine With Mediocrity

The Colts season is officially, mercifully over. 

There’s no real reason to recap their epic collapse over the final two months of the season. Everyone is aware of how they went from a 98% chance of making the playoffs to once again wrapping up their season in the first week of January, and everyone is now aware that despite another year of falling short, the Colts are bringing everyone back for another go. The team will blame injuries for their collapse, and while there is admittedly some logic behind that, the excuse rings hollow. All teams deal with injuries. Yes, the Colts were particularly snakebitten this season, but they still found themselves in plenty of winnable games despite that fact, only to fall short. Does two months of good football against mostly bad teams outweigh all of the other evidence showing that this isn’t working? 

During owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s season-ending press conference on Monday, she referenced being “pissed off” and that there were “no excuses”. Unfortunately, bringing back Ballard and Steichen completely undercuts those statements, and shows that the team remains perfectly fine with being mediocre. Other teams, like the Falcons and the Cardinals, are at least being proactive and making changes after a handful of disappointing seasons. The Colts on the other hand are content to stand pat and do nothing after a decade of them.  

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe in 2026 the Colts will prove that 8-2 start wasn’t a mirage, and they’ll finally earn their way back into the playoffs. If I were a betting man though, my money would be on yet another season of late-season failures and an early exit in January.  

During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Stephen Holder about the end of the Colts season, and the season-ending press conference by Carlie Irsay-Gordon. Listen to that and more below and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!