Indianapolis Colts fans have plenty of reason to look at 2026 and see something better on the horizon.
The organization may need a big season to avoid sweeping changes, but there’s a real path here for Indianapolis to surprise the rest of the NFL. The Colts were already 7-1 through eight games last season and sat in a strong spot in the AFC playoff race before injuries started to pile up. By the time they reached 8-2, the damage had become impossible to ignore.
DeForest Buckner’s neck injury and the string of concussions Charvarius Ward dealt with hit the defense hard. Those two absences made it much tougher for Lou Anarumo’s unit to sustain the level it showed early in the year.
In the first half of the season, the defense ranked highly in several DVOA categories. By the end, even the shaky Houston Texans offense was getting what it wanted against Indianapolis.
That’s why the defensive outlook matters so much now. If the Colts are going to get back on track, this side of the ball has to help drive it.
The offense should still do its part. Shane Steichen has a long history of building productive units, and Daniel Jones is trending toward being ready for Week 1. That gives Indianapolis a decent offensive base, but the defense is where the optimism really lives.
One big reason is health. Sauce Gardner is set to have his first full season with the team, while Ward and Buckner are expected to be in better shape after both had rotten luck in 2025.
There’s also a chance the Colts lean on rookie starters right away. CJ Allen is expected to step in for Zaire Franklin at inside linebacker, and he brings more speed and athleticism to the spot. At safety, AJ Haulcy looks like the favorite to replace Nick Cross, who left for the Washington Commanders in free agency.
Cross was solid against the run, but he didn’t offer the same value in coverage. Haulcy is expected to be stronger in both areas, and the Colts are hoping he turns into a far more disruptive playmaker. In college, he was the kind of ball-hawk this defense has been missing.
Still, the confidence around Anarumo comes with a warning label. His track record as a defensive coordinator has not exactly been packed with elite results.
He can adjust from week to week, but over eight seasons, only the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals finished in the top half of the league in points allowed. Only two of his defenses landed inside the top 23 in yards allowed.
That leaves Anarumo with plenty to prove, right alongside Steichen and Chris Ballard. The good news for Indianapolis is that the roster looks good enough to give all three a real shot to make their case. And yes, a playoff run is on the table.
In Other News...
PFF Just Delivered A Telling Verdict On The Colts Defense
PFFs latest look at the Colts defense offers a useful snapshot of where the unit stands heading into 2025, and it lines up with the bigger question hanging over the roster all offseason: can a group that allowed 24.2 points per game and finished 21st in the league take a meaningful step forward? The front office has tried to answer that by getting younger and faster, and the projected starting lineup now has a mix of proven veterans and players still trying to establish themselves in bigger roles.
The grades suggest the Colts have a few clear building blocks, with some starters standing out as quality pieces and others still searching for steadier production. There is also an injury wrinkle in the mix, which only adds to the uncertainty around how this defense will actually look once the season gets going, and whether the roster changes were enough to push the unit closer to the level Indianapolis needs. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Were Handed A Dream Win-Now Draft Colts Fans Will Debate
NFL.coms hypothetical seven-round redraft handed Indianapolis a kind of wish-list scenario, one that invites Colts fans to argue over both the ceiling and the realism of the haul. In the exercise, the Colts came away with a stacked mix of talent across the board, highlighted by an edge rusher in Will Anderson Jr. and a few other names that would instantly change the tone of the roster.
The fun for Colts followers is in the fit as much as the star power, because the mock puts real help around the lineup in places that have been easy to talk about for a while. Drake London would give Indianapolis a legitimate top target, Sauce Gardner would be back in the fold in a way that makes the secondary look far different, and even the later-round choices point to a team that would be trying to win now rather than think several seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Why This Colts Rookie Keeps Coming Up In Anarumo's Defense
Bryce Boettchers path to the Colts has been anything but ordinary. Drafted with the 135th pick, the rookie linebacker arrives with the kind of toughness and competitive streak Indianapolis likes to tout, plus a rare versatility that could let him handle either MIKE or WILL in Lou Anarumos defense. It is the sort of profile that stands out even before a player takes a meaningful NFL snap, especially for a team still sorting out how its young linebackers fit together.
Boettcher also brings a background that makes him easy to notice in a room full of rookies. Before football became the clearer lane, he was drafted by the Astros and walked on at Oregon in both baseball and football, a route that helped shape the passion for the game Colts scout Kasia Omilan pointed to when discussing his fit. Even in the spring, when he spent most of his time with the second unit and only briefly mixed in with the starters, Boettcher kept showing up for the same reasons that got him here in the first place. [Read more 🡒]