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Colts fans have their doubts about Shane Steichen but other NFL coaches just showed that they view him in elite company

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Destin Adams | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 6:55 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts' handling of young QB Anthony Richardson has been called a failure by many watching from the outside. This, along with the Colts' inability to make the playoffs in either of Shane Steichen's first two years as their head coach, has many in the fan base believing he is on the hot seat ahead of the 2025 season.

If he fails to lead the team to the playoffs in his third year, it may be Steichen's last. But even with so many fans doubting him, other coaches around the league have a lot of respect for him. A recent piece by Ted Nguyen of The Athletic asked defensive coordinators and assistants around the league to identify the top offensive play callers in the NFL today. Steichen found himself included as a top 10 play caller, which makes you wonder if fans might be jumping the gun calling for his head.

Who are the top play callers in the NFL? I asked their nemesis around the league (defensive coordinators and assistants) to rank them and talk about what makes them so difficult to play.https://t.co/kD1bxDMqdl
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 2, 2025

Shane Steichen ranked as one of the top offensive play-callers in the NFL by opposing coaches

"10. Shane Steichen

Steichen has had a couple of down years with Gardner Minshew and navigating the development of Anthony Richardson, but he’s had success with several different types of quarterbacks throughout his career, including helping Justin Herbert have one of the best rookie seasons of all time. He went from running a play-action-heavy, downfield passing attack to architecting the Eagles’ quarterback-run, RPO-style attack they still use." - NFL's top 10 offensive play callers via The Athletic

During his first two seasons as head coach, Steichen has had to build an offensive game plan around three different quarterbacks: Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco. And his ability to build a viable offense each time has been impressive, not something every head coach/offensive play-caller could do. Now entering year three, he adds a fourth to the list with Daniel Jones announced as the team's Week One starter. This seems like Steichen is betting on himself to use the strengths of Jones to his advantage, even with the limitations he also possesses. Coming in 10th here shows that, whether fans trust Steichen or not, defensive coaches believe he is a real asset to the Colts. And if he can help lead the charge of Jones' career resurgence, I'm sure he will rise the ranks even more come 2026. Below is the full top 10 ranking compiled by The Athletic that shows the elite company Steichen finds himself in.

1. Kyle Shanahan, San Fransico 49ers head coach
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams head coach
3. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears head coach
4. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs head coach
5. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings head coach
6. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers head coach
7. Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens head coach
8. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos head coach
9. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach
10. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts head coach

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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