Eagles' Shane Steichen, Colts Agree to HC Contract After Super Bowl 57 Loss to Chiefs

The Indianapolis Colts were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this past season, but they're ready to move forward with a new head coach.

The Colts announced Tuesday morning that Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen has agreed to become their head coach.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that Steichen was expected to finalize a contract after the Eagles' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

Schefter previous reportedly on Sunday that Indianapolis had "targeted" Steichen and has informed other candidates that the team is "moving in a different direction."

Expectations were fairly high for the Colts coming into the 2022 campaign. They were coming off two straight winning seasons, had a potential MVP candidate in the backfield in Jonathan Taylor, a seemingly strong defense and appeared to stabilize the quarterback position by trading for Matt Ryan.

There was even some speculation that the Ryan trade was key to a potential Super Bowl run after the team's inconsistency with Carson Wentz under center the previous year.

Instead, the Colts stumbled to a 4-12-1 record as Taylor dealt with injuries, Ryan underperformed and the defense struggled to stop opposing offenses.

Indianapolis fired head coach Frank Reich after nine games even though he had a winning record in three of his first four years with the team. That wasn't nearly as surprising as what came next, though, as the front office decided to give the interim coaching role to Jeff Saturday.

While the 47-year-old was a Colts legend from his playing days, he had no coaching experience above the high school level.

Saturday went 1-7 with a seven-game losing streak to end the season. It left the Colts looking up at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans in the AFC South and well outside the playoff picture.

However, it also left the team with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft and the 13th-most cap space in the league entering a critical offseason in which it would be looking for a new coach and a potential franchise quarterback.

That is the situation Steichen inherits, with decisions to be made regarding what to do with that draft pick and a roster that could use improvements across the offensive line and elsewhere.

If the Colts do draft or add another quarterback this offseason, the partnership between the new signal-caller and incoming coach could define the franchise for years to come.

While Steichen has no head coaching experience, he was an assistant for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles in previous stops.

The 37-year-old was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles this past season and helped them finish third in the league in yards and scoring and then reach the Super Bowl.

If Steichen can establish that type of offensive success in Indianapolis, the Colts can quickly put the past season behind them.