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Colts eliminated from playoffs on day off

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Richard Pereira, ClutchPoints | Last updated Dec 27, 2025 8:43 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts got some unfortunate news about their playoff hopes following the end of the Los Angeles Chargers’ matchup against the Houston Texans on Saturday evening.

Indianapolis found itself in a brutal situation going into Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. After starting the season 8-2, the team has since lost five straight games as they fell out of the playoff picture of the AFC standings.

On top of that, a season-ending Achilles injury to starting quarterback Daniel Jones put a bigger dent on the Colts’ playoff hopes. They had Philip Rivers come out of retirement after five years to help them stay alive in the playoff picture. However, they lost in his last two starts and were at risk of elimination before getting to their Week 17 game.

They needed the Chargers to beat the Texans on Saturday, the latter being Indianapolis’ division rival in the AFC South. However, it didn’t come to fruition as Houston took down Los Angeles 20-16 to punch its ticket to the playoffs. As a result, the Colts’ hopes of coming back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 will have to wait another year.

What’s next for Colts after playoff elimination

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It is an unfortunate way for the Colts to go when it comes to being out of the playoff race. They were just unable to maintain the excellent start they had that allowed them to be in the playoff conversation.

Indianapolis has an 8-7 record on the season, holding the third spot in the AFC South Division standings. They are above the Tennessee Titans while trailing the Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars by a wide margin. In terms of the AFC standings, they sit at eighth place. They are above the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins while trailing the Chargers and Texans.

Despite their playoff hopes being over, the Colts will move forward with the remainder of their season. They will be at home when they host the Jaguars on Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. ET before going on the road to face the Texans on Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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