It's Time For Colts to Accept Their Fate: Loss to Vikings Confirms Rebuild is Imminent

The Indianapolis Colts fall to 2-5 in the 2026 season after losing 16-10 on the road to the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

The new look (same old?) Colts lose their first game since firing longtime general manager Chris Ballard, proving that the roster he built is simply not good enough.

The Colts actually looked like a competitive team for most of the game, as most post-firing squads appear, but at the end of the day, this is the same roster that got Ballard fired after six weeks.

Indianapolis' season is over, and now the Colts need to put all of their focus and resources into kicking off their rebuild.

Daniel Jones Experiment is Officially Over

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) runs off the field Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, following the game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Colts' head coach Shane Steichen has put his undying faith in quarterback Daniel Jones, and this loyalty has resulted in an unsustainable offense through seven games of the 2026 regular season.

The Colts' offense looks nothing like it did in the early stages of the 2025 season, the very version Steichen has clung to for far too long.

A worse offensive roster and lingering side effects from Jones's infamous torn Achilles have given us peak Daniel Jones (derogatory), and Steichen's continued belief in his starting quarterback has become unwarranted.

Entering the Colts' Week 7 road matchup against the Vikings, Daniel Jones was just one of three starting quarterbacks with more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (4), and that trend only continued in Minnesota.

This was always set to be a brutal matchup for Daniel Jones and Co., but man, did it bring out the worst in the Colts' starting quarterback.

Jones has struggled immensely against pressure this season, specifically against the blitz.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for his blitz-heavy scheme, and he took advantage of the matchup in question.

According to Next Gen Stats, Flores' Vikings defense blitzed Jones and Co. on 85.2% of dropbacks, the highest blitz rate by a defense in a game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). Minnesota generated pressure on 60.9% of those blitzes, with all four of its sacks coming when blitzing.

As a result, Jones put up the following numbers against Flores and Co.:

13-22 (59% completion) for 108 passing yards (4.9 yards per completion), one interception, and was sacked four times for a 52.8 passer rating.

Following the loss, head coach Shane Steichen said that he has not considered a change at quarterback because he has "a ton of faith in Daniel [Jones]."

But through seven weeks of play, there's no reason to think this offense led by Daniel Jones is so much better than one led by Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard that Indianapolis needs to ride this train until the wheels fall off.

Steichen is wrong to be so confident in this version of Daniel Jones, and such loyalty may be his ultimate undoing as the Indianapolis Colts' head coach.

Shane Steichen's Days are Numbered

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches from the sideline Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, during the game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts wanted to give Shane Steichen one last fair shake after longtime general manager Chris Ballard was let go, but that's already looking like a mistake.

The Colts aimed to treat their next two games against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings and the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars as final tests for how this roster will look once the regular season ends, seeing if there's enough to warrant keeping top trade pieces around for a playoff push.

The season was already over entering this two-game stretch, as evidenced by the roster, but this showing against the Vikings proved that this version of the Colts is not good enough.

After longtime assistant manager Ed Dodds took over as the Colts' interim general manager earlier this week, it was revealed that head coach Shane Steichen and all non-personnel staff will report directly to ownership for the remainder of the season.

The Colts are at a point where trading off as many assets as possible for the future is most important, but they can still muster a miracle out of their current roster, but Steichen has refused to give them that hypothetical look.

There have already been numerous instances this season where Steichen could turn to Anthony Richardson, whether that be as a pure rushing threat in the red zone or as a last-resort Hail Mary thrower.

Steichen has been out on Anthony Richardson since the young quarterback's sophomore season showcased a brutal example of the 'terrible twos,' but with his seat hotter than ever, you'd expect him to make any move that could save his job.

Richardson's recent charge for marijuana possession provided Steichen with more reason not to turn to him, but there's simply no reason not to turn to any quarterback not named Daniel Jones at this point.

Steichen's unwarranted belief in starting quarterback Daniel Jones is at the forefront of such coaching malpractice, and this decision to roll with Jones may just be his own final nail in his coffin.

Fire Sale (Should Be) Imminent

Indianapolis Colts co-owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon watches practice on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, during practice at Colts Camp at Grand Park in Westfield. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts have become the hot topic of the NFL trade deadline for the second consecutive season - but not because they're unforeseen buyers, but because they've become sellers.

No player is expected to be off-limits if the Colts indeed decide to begin wholesale changes to their roster, but there are a couple of players they'd prefer to keep around for the new era.

Star running back Jonathan Taylor is still viewed as a cornerstone player.

Colts Owner/CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon views Taylor as "a key part of the organization and a likely mainstay in their rebuild," according to ESPN Insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter.

This makes sense given his fresh extension and consistent production, but the Colts can't value loyalty over the future if the right price comes calling.

A high second-round pick remains the starting point in negotiations, but if a contender wants to trade away a late first-round selection for Taylor's services, you simply cannot say no.

Taylor is no doubt a superstar that you can lean on, but with the Colts' immediate future looking bleak without a first-round pick at their disposal, you have to take that opportunity.

Taylor will help the 2027 Colts stay afloat, but he'll be 29 years old entering his first season alongside Indianapolis' quarterback of the future, if they choose to do so in the 2028 NFL Draft.

Furthermore, the Colts would likely also like to re-sign future Hall of Fame guard Quenton Nelson to kick off the rebuild, but his expiring contract makes convincing almost impossible.

Nelson has stuck around for multiple rebuilds, and given that he's reached his thirties, a fresh start elsewhere feels most likely.

Finally, the Colts are in such a brutal position when it comes to draft capital due to their blockbuster trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the 2025 trade deadline, which included two first-round picks in compensation.

Indianapolis would likely jump at any opportunity to recoup any lost capital from said trade, but given that Gardner has played in just 10 games since joining the Colts, it's likely they won't receive even a fraction of what it cost to obtain him.

Ideally, the Colts start their rebuild with a franchise pillar on each side of the ball (Nelson, Gardner), but if enough compensation comes calling, tearing down the franchise to its studs could be on the table.

Outside of those three players, as well as wide receiver Alec Pierce and any players still on their rookie contracts, the Colts are shopping their entire roster.

The only thing that would hold them back from making such a drastic move is the state of the AFC South. The Colts remain second in the division despite their 2-5 record, but the Jaguars aren't too far behind at 4-2.

However, the lowly AFC South shouldn't determine how the Colts operate moving forward. The season is over, and the future is now.

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