3 Reasons Colts' Epic Collapse is One of Biggest in NFL History

The Indianapolis Colts missed the playoffs after starting historically well, and it won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts general manager, talks Friday, July 25, 2025, with Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL playoffs are just around the corner, and yet again, the Indianapolis Colts won't be a part of the competition.

This result of an 8-9 record is unacceptable considering how incredibly well the season started for Indianapolis, and the mountainous fall from grace must be discussed.

Without further ado, let's get into three reasons why this specific collapse is one of the most pathetic in NFL history.

The Offense's Incredible Start

Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) looks over the Jacksonville Jaguars defense pre-snap during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

This Colts offense looked completely unstoppable ahead of their Week 11 bye, scoring at will, destroying defenses, and running away with games.

Quarterback Daniel Jones was dissecting defenses through the air as we've never seen him do, running back Jonathan Taylor looked like a legitimate MVP candidate, the pass-catchers were walking all over coverages, and the offensive line resembled a snowplow.

This offense was so good that they went into the bye with an incredible +115-point differential, never dipping below 20 points, even in their two losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, once the team came out into Week 12 to face the Kansas City Chiefs, the offense was a ghost of itself.

To put it into perspective, after having zero games of under 20 points scored, they logged four contests with 20 or fewer.

It didn't help that Jones was playing on a fractured fibula, giving defenses ample opportunity to tee off on the QB while focusing all of their might on stopping Taylor.

The offense would only muster a high score of 30 points after the bye in Week 18 when the season was lost against the Houston Texans under the leadership of a sixth-round rookie, Riley Leonard.

Where the wheels truly fell off was after Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, ending his great 2025.

Colts were 8-2.
Then they were 8-3.
Then they were 8-4.
Then they were 8-5.
Then they were 8-6.
Then they were 8-7.
Then they were 8-8.

They finished 8-9.
Truly an all-time collapse.

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) January 4, 2026

After this, Philip Rivers was brought out of retirement to try and salvage the season, but he went 0-3 in his starts. Once Week 18 rolled around, the offense turned to Leonard, who also lost.

By season's end, this offense was a plastic bag, blowing around in a gust of wind, looking underwhelming, slow, and predictable.

Injuries can be leaned on as an excuse, but eventually that crutch breaks under the weight of Indy's offensive mediocrity.

This is arguably the greatest free fall we've seen in recent memory for an offense, and it will be hard for any team in the upcoming years to be as bad as Indianapolis was in the closing seven games.

Speaking of those seven games.

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The Brutal Seven Game Losing Streak

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen on the sidelines against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

After starting a blistering 8-2 and sitting at the top of the NFL world, the Colts finished their year 8-9. This was a complete disaster in every context of the word.

Once the competition heated up for the Colts, everything started to wain and fall for this franchise. To reference the previous entry regarding Indy's incredible point differential, it was equally as heavy, but in the worst way.

During those seven losses, Indy lost by a point differential of -61, which included a 21-point beatdown at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16 (48-27).

Out of the five opponents Indianapolis faced, four are in the playoffs (Texans, Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, and the 49ers).

While the competition was volcanic in nature compared to their first 10 games, seven straight losses is hard for even the worst teams in the NFL to accomplish.

The hope is that Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard will use this embarrassing streak as motivation to put together a better showing in 2026. Luckily, it's not easy to be that bad for two consecutive years.

The Sauce Gardner Trade

Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

This might be the biggest reason the 2025 season can be classified as a true collapse: the trade for former New York Jets lockdown cornerback, Sauce Gardner.

At the time, it made beautiful sense. The Colts looked like a Super Bowl contender out of nowhere, and they needed one more big piece to assemble the squad to make that a reality.

Indy revamped their defense in the offseason by signing cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum out of free agency, so putting Gardner in the mix was to make Lou Anarumo's side of the ball deadly.

However, the price was incredibly steep, as the Colts surrendered their 2026 and 2027 first-rounders to get Gardner. But, having a trio of incredible cornerbacks like Ward, Gardner, and Kenny Moore II was well worth the trade.

It would've been if Ward and Gardner were able to stay on the field, but injuries completely shot this thought process.

Ward only played seven games in 2025 due to a whopping three concussions, and Gardner sustained a calf strain that kept his time with the Colts to a meager four games.

In what was supposed to be a trade that took Indy over the hill for a Super Bowl title turned into a nightmare, and now the Colts have no first-rounder for the next two draft cycles.

If Gardner can return, and potentially Ward as well, in 2026 to play at a high level, all may be forgiven. However, a lot must happen for this trade's value to reach it's peak.

The Bottom Line

Carlie Irsay-Gordon speaks with media Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, during a press conference held at the Indianapolis Colts practice facility. Irsay-Gordon, the co-owner and CEO of the Colts, addressed questions about the team retaining head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Regardless of the excuses and how much they might play into this collapse is beside the point. At the end of the day, Indianapolis completely came unhinged after looking like a championship team.

In the pantheon of the NFL, there have been collapses, sure. But how many teams had historically good starts, insane point differentials, and award front-runners, only to drop seven in a row and whiff on the playoffs?

The Colts have a lot of work to do and have to make it happen in 2026. The expectations must be to make the postseason, earn a playoff victory, and win the AFC South.

Otherwise, things need to change in a mountainous way. Ballard must not be retained as general manager, Steichen needs to be let go, and multiple stars need to be dealt away for draft capital and cap savings.

Of course, this isn't the wish of CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon. The ultimate hope is that these goals are met in 2026, and another collapse of this magnitude never happens again to a franchise starved of real success.