The Colts finished the season 8-9, and frankly, if they had played better out of the quarterback position, they would have been a playoff team. They gave up 50 more pts than they scored (under 3 points per game). They need an upgrade in their WR room and need a complete overhaul with their TEs. But they have one of the league’s premier RBs in the league (Jonathan Taylor). This team isn’t far from making the playoffs in 2025, especially considering their division.
QB
A team cannot compete if their QB completes less than half of his passes. This past season, Anthony Richardson only completed 47.7% of his throws. Between injuries and being benched for part of the season, veteran Joe Flacco played in eight games. He completed 65.3% of his passes and averaged 220 passing yards per game. Richardson threw more interceptions than TDs, while Flacco had a 12/7 TD/Int ratio. And Flacco’s QB rating was 90.5…Richardson’s was only 61.6, which is disgusting. The Colts cannot enter the season with Richardson…sometimes a team just has to admit a mistake and cut their losses.
RB
Jonathan Taylor has been the team’s one consistent bright spot over the last few years. In 14 games, he rushed for 1431 yards, with a 4.7 rushing average and 11 touchdowns. However, the team needs a more effective third-down back who is also a pass-catching threat. They also need an effective TE who can open things up a bit more, such as Taylor, as a blocker or an additional offensive threat to divert attention away from him.
WR
The Colts have two decent no.2 receivers but desperately need a no.1 receiver…Tee Higgins? Josh Downs and Michael Pittman’s stats were eerily similar this past season. Downs caught 72 passes, while Pittman caught 69. And they each remarkably had 803 receiving yds. Downs caught five TDs, and Pittman had three.
DEFENSE
The Colts had three defensemen with over 100 total tackles. LB EJ Speed had 142, S Nick Cross had 146, and LB Zaire Franklin led the team with 173. The team had a respectable 36 sacks, but a play for DE Myles Garrett would do wonders. Currently, Kwity Paye is the best DE on the team, leading all defenders with eight interceptions.
HEAD COACH
Shane Steichen will be entering his third season. He is exactly 500 so far, going 9-8 and then 8-9 this past season. He was most recently the Eagles OC from ’21-’23 and was a big reason the Eagles were in the Superbowl two years ago. If given a legitimate quarterback with a couple more pieces, he will be able to compete for the division and have a deep playoff run. But Anthony Richardson isn’t the answer.
