Colts Must Make Playoffs a Reality

The Indianapolis Colts have a playoff drought running on five seasons, as the last time the franchise secured a spot in the postseason was with Philip Rivers leading the charge under center and Frank Reich was the head coach in 2020.

Since then, the Colts have had multiple coaches, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan as the quarterbacks, and multiple disappointing seasons to follow. Now, Shane Steichen leads the team as the coach and the polarizing Anthony Richardson is trying to find his footing as the top QB, with Daniel Jones now set to compete with him.

2025 is arguably one of the most important seasons in recent memory for the Colts with playoffs required for Steichen, Richardson, and general manager Chris Ballard to stay in their respective roles.

If Indianapolis can enter the postseason, then all may be settled for the Indianapolis squad. It won't be easy, but there are believers that the Colts can turn this into a reality. Fox Sports is among the channels that are investing in Indy to enter playoff contention.

Henry McKenna thinks the Colts will snag the fourth-overall seed for the AFC, facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers, but losing 21-7 in the Wild Card round.

"Of course, my Colts pick is likely to addle a few brains. The Houston Texans didn’t look like a strong team on film last year — but they coasted into the postseason due to weak division. Indy got better this offseason. Houston didn’t. And whether it’s Daniel Jones or an improved Anthony Richardson at QB, the Colts should win more games — and they were already 8-9 last season."

The Colts improved their roster by adding players like cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum in free agency. They also secured depth at multiple positions with running back Khalil Herbert and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.

The Colts also made sure to hit the draft hard by getting eight new names at positions of need, with none more impactful than helping their tight end room with Penn State's Tyler Warren.

But, when peeling back all the layers, it's all about what happens with Richardson or Jones, whoever gets the start. If the QB position can be stable or better, then Indianapolis has a solid chance at not just securing a playoff spot but also taking the AFC South crown for the first time since 2014 when Andrew Luck was still the leader.

As McKenna points out, the Colts didn't have consistency at quarterback or on defense yet still put up an 8-9 record. Despite a losing record, Indy showed enough promise to put confidence in certain analysts that they can make the postseason and end their drought.

Even if Indianapolis hypothetically falls in the first round, it would not only not be too shocking but also may not be detrimental to the current regime staying intact. In short, this scenario might be the least that Indianapolis needs to accomplish to call 2025 a success.

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