Colts' Steichen and Jones Connection Seen as Lowly Combo

Despite a hot start last year from the Indianapolis Colts, critics are wary of Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones.

Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) speaks with head coach Shane Steichen in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Shane Steichen hasn't had it easy as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in his three years leading the charge. Most of this struggle has been due to the revolving QB situation that never seems to stop.

In 51 regular-season games, Steichen has had Anthony Richardson Sr., Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, Daniel Jones, Philip Rivers, and Riley Leonard.

Honestly, the fact that Steichen has compiled a 25-26 record as the head coach is miraculous considering six QBs have started, each with a different skill set.

Now, it's all about Steichen and Jones as the HC/QB duo for 2026. While there was immense promise shown last year, Matt Verderame at Sports Illustrated isn't buying it.

Verderame mercilessly placed Steichen and Jones as the 23rd-best HC/QB duo for the 2026 season.

"Steichen is a good coach who has been saddled with an impossible situation.

Over his three years in Indianapolis, he’s had to start Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew II, Joe Flacco, Riley Leonard, Philip Rivers and Jones under center.

That’s a recipe for failure, evidenced by his 25–26 record. There’s not a coach in football who would succeed with that group leading the way."

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen on the SiriusXM NFL radio set at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Verderame isn't wrong here, and it's not a reflection on Steichen. Indianapolis hasn't been able to nail down the quarterback position for years, and it even affected former head coach Frank Reich.

But in Indy's current situation, it's all about whether Jones can be the same quarterback we saw before Indy's bye week last year.

Verderame mentions how well Jones played during the 7-1 start Indianapolis had, which put them atop the NFL. However, following that red-hot start, Jones' numbers began to fall. Below are those metrics as a reference.

• First Eight Games | 2,062 passing yards, 13 passing TDs, 4 rushing TDs, 3 interceptions
• Last Five Games | 1,039 passing yards, 6 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, 5 interceptions

Jones was on fire before getting smashed in Week 9 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following that tough loss, Jones started to look more like the quarterback we saw struggle for years with the New York Giants.

Jones sustained a fractured fibula before falling in Week 14 to a season-ending Achilles injury, but the exact moment he had the leg injury isn't concrete.

Was this drop off due to the injury? Or, were NFL defenses adjusting quickly to meet Jones' weaknesses? It's hard to determine.

Regardless, this ranking for the Steichen-Jones connection from Verderame might seem a bit harsh, considering what the Colts accomplished ahead of falling apart.

However, to play devil's advocate here, it's an honest assessment. Jones wasn't able to finish the season, and did start to fall off badly in production after a surgical start that placed him squarely in the MVP conversation.

The hope is that, as long as Jones can recover from that brutal Achilles injury, he'll be able to resume playing incredible football in the Steichen scheme.

By all indications from what we've seen in OTAs, Jones is on track to start for Week 1 at full capacity.

morning movement. pic.twitter.com/um3OwZriGh

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 31, 2026

Most of the 23rd ranking comes from having such a small sample size of success from Steichen and Jones as a combo, rather than what could be in 2026.

Regardless, all of Indy's success for the 2026 season will depend on if this duo can elevate to new heights for a full season.

The Colts have to make the playoffs and probably secure a victory in the process for this year to be considered a win for the franchise.

If this happens, then Verderame will have no choice but to bump Steichen and Jones further up the rankings for his assessment next season.

If it doesn't, it should come as no surprise if Steichen is canned and Indianapolis starts to ponder different options for their next quarterback after placing their faith in Jones as the franchise guy.

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