The 2025 Indianapolis Colts season was a lesson in heartbreak - a campaign defined not by blowouts or dysfunction, but by the cruelest kind of consistency: close losses. Seven of their nine defeats came by a single possession. That’s not just a stat; it’s a gut punch that played out week after week, leaving a team that flirted with playoff potential watching from the outside when the postseason kicked off.
For a while, the Colts looked like they might be ahead of schedule. The front office pushed their chips in at the trade deadline, signaling belief in a young roster that had shown flashes of promise.
But when the calendar flipped to December, the wheels came off. Indianapolis dropped its final seven games, a brutal skid that turned a playoff push into a sobering collapse.
Still, there were bright spots - none brighter than Jonathan Taylor. The star running back earned his third Pro Bowl nod after racking up 1,585 rushing yards, leading the league with 20 total touchdowns and 84 first downs.
He was the engine of the offense, a workhorse in every sense. But as the Colts’ quarterback situation unraveled late in the year, opposing defenses keyed in on Taylor, and his production took a hit.
Without a steady passing threat to keep defenses honest, Taylor was forced to shoulder too much of the load.
The season’s defining moment may have come in Week 15, in a wild and emotionally charged matchup in Seattle. With the Colts still clinging to playoff hopes and without their starting quarterback, the team turned to a familiar face - 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who came out of retirement with just five days of preparation. Somehow, Rivers steadied the ship in a gritty, defensive battle.
Blake Grupe nailed a 60-yard field goal - a franchise record - to give Indy a 16-15 lead late. But it wasn’t enough.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers answered with a game-winner in the final seconds, handing the Colts a fourth straight loss and effectively ending their postseason dreams. It was a game that showed the Colts could still hang with the NFL’s elite - but moral victories don’t count in the standings.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots cruised through a soft schedule and turned back the clock in the playoffs, allowing just 26 points across three games to win the AFC. Their run ended with a thud in the Super Bowl against a dominant Seattle defense, but their path only highlighted what could’ve been for Indianapolis. If the Colts had found a way to finish games, they might’ve been the ones making noise in January.
Instead, they’re facing a pivotal offseason. General manager Chris Ballard, now nine years into his tenure, has just two playoff appearances to show for it.
The patience that once surrounded this front office is wearing thin. The Colts head into the 2026 offseason without a first-round pick and just six total selections - two of them in the seventh round.
Trading that first-rounder for a shutdown corner like Sauce Gardner may prove worthwhile, but it’s left the Colts with little margin for error in the draft.
That puts even more pressure on Ballard’s ability to find value on Days 2 and 3 - something he’s done before, but now must do again with the franchise’s direction hanging in the balance.
During his end-of-season press conference, Ballard didn’t sugarcoat the situation. He made it clear: the defense needs a reset.
Younger. Faster.
More disruptive. It’s not enough to bend without breaking anymore.
In today’s AFC, where quarterbacks can light up the scoreboard in a blink, you need defenders who can dictate terms - not just survive the onslaught.
The scouting process kicks into high gear later this month when the NFL Combine returns to Lucas Oil Stadium, a tradition that’s been part of the Indy football fabric since 1987. The league recently committed to keeping the event in Indianapolis through 2028, ensuring the city remains the nerve center of the pre-draft process.
For the Colts, it’s more than just hosting duties - it’s a front-row seat to the talent that could reshape their future. The next two months will be critical.
The Colts don’t just need to draft well - they need to draft difference-makers. The kind of players who can help close out those one-possession games, who can turn near-misses into wins, and who can push this team from “almost” to “arrived.”
The clock is ticking. The margin for error is gone. And the Colts know it.