The Colts’ problems start up front, and Zak Keefer didn’t dance around it.
On The Fan Morning Show, the Athletic reporter laid out why he believes the Chris Ballard era went sideways, and the pass rush was the biggest miss. Ballard has always valued building the defensive front, Keefer said, joking, “Chris Ballard might trade one of his own children to build a great defensive line. Like, he lives for that,” but the Colts still never got enough from the edges.
Keefer gave credit where it was due. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart were real wins.
But the edge group, he said, was a different story. “on the edges they just continued to whiff,” Keefer said, adding that the Colts “could never finish games.” Even the best single-season sack total during Ballard’s run came from a free agent, Justin Houston.
That lack of momentum around the team has bled beyond the field. Keefer said he has “never felt less juice around town at the start of a Colts season,” and called the franchise “incredibly stale.”
In his view, the fan base has shifted from anger to something worse. Some supporters “are not just mad anymore,” he said.
“Some of them are just apathetic.”
That’s the problem Carlie Irsay-Gordon now inherits, according to Keefer: finding a way to wake people up again. He added, “I don’t think Peyton Manning’s coming to save this team either.”
Looking ahead, Keefer said the Colts could change the structure of the front office by adding a team president above a new GM, a model used by the Rams, Chiefs and Jaguars. He said GMs have told him only 10 to 30% of their job is actually football. “It wouldn’t stun me if this is something she pursues.”
And at quarterback, Keefer thinks the current picture is still cloudy. He said Shane Steichen does not appear to trust Anthony Richardson to run the offense, and that Daniel Jones remains Steichen’s guy. But if Jones keeps struggling, Keefer said, “he might not have a choice.”
In Other News...
Jonathan Taylor Knows What A 2-4 Colts Team Still Needs Most
With the Colts sitting at 2-4 and headed into a meeting with the Vikings, Jonathan Taylor is keeping the conversation where he wants it: on the field and on helping Indianapolis steady itself. The running back has been one of the teams bright spots early in the 2025 season, giving the offense a reliable centerpiece while the roster works to climb back into the mix.
Trade speculation can follow any productive player on a struggling team, but Taylor is not entertaining that noise as the season unfolds. He said his attention stays on winning with the Colts and doing right by the people around him, a stance that fits the urgency of a team trying to turn close attention into actual results. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Richardson Puts Colts In Tough Spot With Off-Field Trouble
Anthony Richardsons latest off-field issue has put the Colts in an uncomfortable place as they try to keep their focus on football. The quarterback was involved in a traffic stop in Carmel, Indiana, and the team said it is gathering more information after learning of the situation.
The legal process now hangs over the next stretch for Richardson and the organization, with a bench trial set for January 4, 2027. For a Colts team trying to build around its young quarterback, the incident adds another layer of uncertainty at a position where stability matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Get Encouraging Injury Shift Before Sundays Big Test
The injury picture around Sundays Colts-Vikings matchup brightened on Thursday, with both teams showing some encouraging movement in practice. Indianapolis had several players move up from Wednesdays report, a useful sign at this stage of the week as the Colts continue getting ready for a high-profile test.
Minnesota also checked a positive box, with every Vikings player dealing with an injury taking a full practice after being limited the day before. For the Colts, the bigger takeaway is the healthier direction the roster is trending as game day approaches, even if the final availability picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]