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Colts Fans React to Fifth Consecutive Missed Postseason

Social media erupted after the Indianapolis Colts finalized another late-season collapse.
Sean Ackerman|
Aug 23, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard walks the sideline in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.
Aug 23, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard walks the sideline in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. | Grace Hollars-USAToday Network via Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are officially out of contention for a playoff spot after the Houston Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17 on Saturday afternoon. This marks the third straight season of no playoff football under head coach Shane Steichen.

In the first half of the season, the Colts' offense was breaking records. The team cruised to an 8-2 start, the best in the league. A month and a half later, the Colts are out of the postseason in the blink of an eye.

The Colts have had one playoff win and zero division titles under general manager Chris Ballard. Another failed season has Colts fans calling for the team to move on from their long-time GM.

Colts Fans React to the Unfortunate News

"“The most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL” misses a 32 yarder when the Colts need him to make it.

You can’t make this **** up," one fan wrote.

Despite some fans calling for Chris Ballard's exit, ESPN reporter Stephen Holder isn't convinced the team will move on from him.

"Gotta be the end of Ballard & Steichen at least, right?" a fan asked Holder. "EPIC collapse to go from 8-2 to missing the postseason. This was heading here before the injuries & they were the ones who brought Rivers in. Will be worth it if we can be rid of them; though with no QB or 1’s, bleak future"

"I don’t know what is going to happen, but I have consistently said fans gotta stop assuming they are going to clean house," Holder replied. "I am not at all convinced that’s the case."

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The Colts haven't won an AFC South title since 2014 (Andrew Luck's third season with the club). Every other divisional opponent has won at least twice during that span.

The Colts now have the fourth-longest playoff drought in the league.

"Don’t make grandpa Phil the face of elimination. He just got here lmao. Make an elimination Billboard with Ballard as the face because that’s all we’ve had for nearly a decade," one fan commented.

The Colts are on a five-game losing streak, and late in the season is obviously the worst time to go on one of those runs. The tides shifted when Daniel Jones tore his right Achilles tendon, sending Indy's lead man to the sidelines for the rest of the season.

The Colts now have to decide if it's worth it to bring Jones back for another year or two as he rehabs from his unfortunate injury.

The Colts' gamble to send two first-round picks in return for Sauce Gardner also looks even worse. The Jets are guaranteed to have a top-18 pick in the draft.

"The worst part of it all is how we’re 100% going to tell ourselves “it was just injuries” and then run it back in 2026 with the same cast of characters," a fan said to Pat McAfee.

"100%," McAfee replied.

The Colts are slowly turning into the laughing stock of the league. If they can't figure it out soon, it seems they'll be stuck in football purgatory for a looooong time.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.

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