10 Things Colts Should Be Thankful For

Following the sad passing of long-time Colts CEO Jim Irsay, his daughters took over ownership of the team. While there are three sisters, it's Carlie Irsay-Gordon who is the figurehead with Kalen Jackson and Casey Foyt.

Taking over an NFL team is a massive task, but Irsay-Gordon has done so seamlessly and is thriving, implementing everything Jim taught her during his years owning the franchise.

The players, fans, and media are bought into the leadership of Carlie, as she's shown serious commitment, even standing on the sidelines with a headset to fully understand her team's approach.

Irsay-Gordon has been a trailblazer just 11 games into being the face of the franchise and is on an upward trajectory as the Colts look to finish 2025 strong, make the playoffs, and take the AFC South.

Quenton Nelson's Continued Dominance

While the entire Colts offensive line has played incredibly this year, no player stands out more than the future NFL Hall of Famer, Quenton Nelson.

Nelson is in his eighth season and remains arguably the most dominant guard in football. This is indicated by his Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 84.2, which is first among all guards (81 eligible).

Nelson has three First-Team All-Pros and seven Pro Bowls in seven years, and appears to be on track for both yet again.

Nelson is a gem who will likely never leave the confines of the Indy franchise if Irsay-Gordon and Chris Ballard can help it.

Refreshed Culture

Ballard's tenure as Indy's general manager was marred by a QB carousel, coaching changes, and disappointing seasons.

However, this appears to have flipped in 2025, with the Colts resting at 8-3 under the new ownership of the Irsay sisters. The franchise is also at the top of their division for the first time in recent memory.

They're also one of the best teams in the NFL and look to be a near-lock for the postseason for the first time since 2020.

Anything can change at the turn of a dime in the NFL, but this team feels different than years past. We'll see if Shane Steichen can keep the ship upright and finish this fantastic start the right way.

The Offensive Brilliance of Shane Steichen

Steichen is in his third season as the Colts' head coach, and it's not been an easy ride for the offensive master. However, now that he has stability at QB with Daniel Jones, it looks promising.

Jones is Steichen's fourth starting QB, with Anthony Richardson Sr. , Joe Flacco, and Gardner Minshew playing before him. Despite constant change, Steichen has a solid 25-20 career mark.

After the fall of Richardson, and signing of Jones, Steichen's offense has become lethal. It's one of the best scoring units in the league, and despite recent struggles, just needs one good game to get back on track.

Steichen has pulled the best out of his QB, offensive line, and offensive weapons, and will press to return to his imposing ways with defenses going forward.

Lou Anarumo

Now on the other side of the ball.

After Indianapolis saw three years of Gus Bradley calling the shots for the defense, the squad felt change was needed. Enter the defensive wizard, Lou Anarumo.

Anarumo coached the Cincinnati Bengals defense for six years before the Colts signed him for his services. Anarumo has taken this Colts defense to new heights, and may be a head coach in 2026.

Indy has allowed 1,071 rushing yards (seventh), 229 points (ninth), and forced 16 turnovers (tied for seventh). These are just a few metrics that point to how well Anarumo has coached Indy's defense.

As mentioned before, don't be surprised if this is Anarumo's only season as the Colts' DC. This means it's more important than ever to take full advantage of his services and make a playoff push for a Lombardi Trophy.

Laiatu Latu's Breakout Season

Colts second-year defensive end Laiatu Latu has looked every bit like a future star in 2025 and doesn't look like he's stopping anytime soon.

In 10 games, Latu has 5.5 sacks, 31 tackles, six for loss, four pass breakups, and an impressive three interceptions from the defensive edge.

Latu has made the year two jump and is arguably the Colts' best player on the defensive line, minus the team captain DeForest Buckner (on injured reserve).

The last six games of the 2025 season will be fun to watch regarding Latu. We'll see if he can become the first Colt to record 10-plus sacks since 2019 (Justin Houston - 11.0 sacks).

The Rise of Tyler Warren

The Colts desperately needed tight end help after a brutal showing from the group in 2024, and they got just that with the 14th-overall pick in this year's draft, with Penn State's Tyler Warren.

Despite only playing 11 career NFL games, Warren is already one of the top targets for the Colts' passing game. He's also one of the best tight ends in the league and only has room to grow.

Warren has secured 55 catches for 662 receiving yards (leads the team) and four all-purpose TDs (three receiving, one rushing).

Warren is a pure weapon for the Colts' offense, and can do it all from the tight end position for Steichen.

It's hard to tell how he'll finish 2025, but given how it's started, don't be shocked if he eclipses 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards.

A New Deadly Cornerback Trio

The Colts signed cornerback Charvarius Ward during the offseason to help boost coverage for Anarumo's scheme.

However, that transaction pales in comparison to Indy trading two first-rounders and Adonai Mitchell for two-time First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, Sauce Gardner.

With this addition, Anarumo now has a seriously talented trio of Kenny Moore II, Ward, and Gardner to give offenses fits.

It's hard to find a team in the league with this much talent in the cornerback room, and the hope is that these three will help boost the Colts' pass-rush as they stare down a brutal six-game stretch to finish 2025.

Daniel Jones

Jones has seen his career turn into a comet with the Colts, but it didn't start that way with the New York Giants during his six years in the Meadowlands.

Jones was criticized as an outright first-round bust (sixth-overall in 2019) and looked worse for wear in most games in the NFC East. This led to the Giants turning their backs on him, followed by the Minnesota Vikings.

Now, Jones looks like a legitimate field general with Indy and Steichen helping him smooth out the very rough edges he showed in New York.

In 11 games as a Colt, he's compiled 242/350 completions for 2,840 pass yards, and 17 touchdown tosses. He's also added in five TDs on the ground and operates the offense well.

While he's regressed a bit over the last three games, overall, he's looked great in a Colts uniform. We'll see if he can keep it up.

Regardless, he's the most consistent QB the Colts have seen since Andrew Luck.

Jonathan Taylor's MVP-Esque Campaign

Jonathan Taylor has been a Thor-like warhammer for the Colts' offense and is the best running back in the NFL.

Taylor leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,197), rushing touchdowns (15), and rushing first downs (60), walking into the Thanksgiving slate.

Indy's offense featured fantastic talents like Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Warren, and Alec Pierce, but none of them touch the importance to the offense that Taylor has.

With high-stakes games to finish this regular season for Steichen, expect him to lean on Taylor more than ever to keep defenses guessing.