Colts Fall Short of Modest Expectations in New Prediction

That sort of indecisiveness may cause turmoil this season for Indianapolis, forcing Sports Illustrated analyst Gilbert Manzano to predict the team to finish below a projected 7.5-win mark.

"It could be another long season for coach Shane Steichen with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones as his two quarterback options," Manzano wrote. "Jones struggled with consistency in six seasons with the Giants, and Richardson's accuracy drastically regressed last season and there are concerns about his work ethic. There’s also plenty of work for new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who needs to improve the pass rush and coverage."

As Manzano mentioned, the Colts have two largely unproven passers as their top two options. Jones was cut by the New York Giants halfway through last season while the Colts' front office temporarily benched Richardson.

During his time with the Giants, Jones led his squad to the playoffs once in the 2022 season, winning a wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings before falling short to the Philadelphia Eagles one round later.

In two seasons with the Colts, Richardson has started only 15 of a possible 34 games after dealing with shoulder and oblique injury issues. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2020, when Philip Rivers was the team's Band-Aid starter after Andrew Luck retired a year prior.

For the Colts to have consistent success, it goes beyond quarterback play. In 2024, the defense struggled under Gus Bradley, which led to a decision to part ways with the longtime coordinator. Indianapolis hired former Cincinnati Bengals coordinator Lou Anarumo to take over the mess that Bradley left behind.

Anarumo immediately played a role in signing cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum to give the Colts' secondary a new look ahead of next season. Indianapolis allowed a 69.36% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks last year, the third-worst rate in the league.

Manzano mentioned the pass rush needing improvement, but it should be okay with the return of Samson Ebukam and the new addition of former Ohio State Buckeye edge rusher JT Tuimoloau.

The Colts will kick off their 2025 campaign with a home game against the Dolphins on September 7th.

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