Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard's Colts Job Security Discussed by NFL Insiders Amid Woes

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard reportedly may not be guaranteed to return to their roles in 2026.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will "evaluate the full body of work" Steichen and Ballard have put together at the end of the season.

The Colts were among the best teams in the NFL over their first 10 games, going 8-2 and battling for the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC.

However, they have since lost three games in a row, and quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during last week's 36-19 loss to the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars.

▶️ Full Colts-Jaguars Recap

05:48

Even before that, it was known entering the previous week's loss to the Houston Texans that Jones was playing through a fractured fibula.

The 8-5 Colts would be out of the playoffs if they started today, and there isn't much hope for optimism over the final month given their quarterback situation.

Jones was having a career year and was in the thick for the MVP conversation for quite some time. Now, the Colts may have to lean on a 44-year-old quarterback who retired five years ago.

With both Jones and Anthony Richardson on injured reserve, and rookie Riley Leonard nursing a knee injury that has left his status for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks uncertain, the Colts signed Philip Rivers to their practice squad this week.

If he gets elevated to the active roster, Rivers will be the oldest active player in the NFL, and he could take his first snap since the 2020 season.

Those are the dire straits the Colts are in, and Fowler suggested Steichen and Ballard could get some grace from ownership because of it, writing, "I think everyone there recognizes that Indy has built a good team that thrived over the season's first 10 games."

If this season ends without a playoff berth, it will mark Steichen's third year out of the postseason since becoming the Colts' head coach. He went 9-8 in 2023 and 8-9 last season.

An 8-9 finish is still on the table this season, and ownership may have to at least consider a change if the team ends the campaign on a seven-game losing streak, but Steichen did show what he is capable of as a coach with quality quarterback play.

Perhaps the even bigger question for Indy over the status of Steichen and Ballard is who the team's quarterback will be next season.

Jones is set to become a free agent, and even if he re-signs, he may not be ready for the start of the 2026 season. That means Ballard has a lot of work to do at the most important position in the sport if he is retained.