Colts’ Playoff Fate Sealed After Texans Pull Off Key Win

The Indianapolis Colts are getting used to the couch.

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen walks off the field Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, after losing a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Despite a dream start to the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts will be watching the playoffs from their couch for the fifth year in a row.

The Colts were officially eliminated from postseason contention on Saturday afternoon after the Houston Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17. The Texans advance to 11-5 on the season, clinching a wild card spot at the minimum.

If the Colts beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Texans would be tied with the Jaguars at the top of the AFC South. This marks the 11th season since the Colts last earned the AFC South crown. The Colts will be playing for absolutely nothing in Week 17.

The #Texans beat the #Chargers, so that means the #Colts have missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) December 28, 2025

This late-season collapse will go down as one of the worst in NFL history. Indy is the first team since the turn of the century to miss the postseason after starting 8-2.

The Colts haven't won a game since their Week 11 bye. It all began with an overtime road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs the week before Thanksgiving, when Daniel Jones played his first game with a fractured fibula. The Colts then lost Jones for the season a couple of weeks later when he went down with a torn Achilles tendon against Jacksonville in the first quarter.

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Injuries plagued the Colts' locker room all season long, but there are no excuses when you tank out of the playoffs after sitting as the top seed in the conference halfway through the season. This offseason will be filled with big decisions from Jim Irsay's daughters, including whether the team should keep general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.

how many shitty historical feats have to happen to the Colts under Ballard before he’s finally let go

— K8 (@K8Fryman) December 27, 2025

On top of the front office drama, the Colts must decide whether to re-sign Jones as he recovers from a torn Achilles, which is one of the scariest injuries in sports.

The Colts have won zero divisional titles since Ballard joined in 2017. The team has won just one playoff game in two appearances. They looked on track to make the playoffs with a healthy Jones under center, but there's no guarantee he'll be the same after rehab.

The Colts simply got cold at the worst possible time. Indy fell behind in the AFC standings as the Chargers, Texans, and Jaguars won a majority of their games down the stretch to secure postseason football.

With an eye on the future. Colts 2026 opponents:
*Home: Houston, Jax, Tenn, Baltimore, Cincy, Dallas, NY Giants, AFC East (team that finishes in same spot in division).
*Away: Houston, Jax, Tenn, Cleveland, Pitts, Philly, Washington, AFC West, NFC North.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) December 26, 2025

The Colts can still influence the outcome of seeding situations with victories over the Jaguars and Texans, but they can't help their own odds. It's been a long time since Indy played meaningful football in mid-January, and fans will have to wait another year.