Chris Ballard is out in Indianapolis, and that’s the kind of move Eagles fans are watching with one eye on Shane Steichen.
The Colts became the first NFL team this season to make a big change at either the head coach or general manager spot, parting ways with Ballard after another rough stretch. Indianapolis has now gone five straight seasons without a playoff appearance, and the latest setback came in a loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. At 2-4, the season has gone sideways fast.
That’s where Steichen enters the picture. The Colts’ head coach is under pressure too, and he still hasn’t led Indianapolis to the postseason since taking over in 2023. His overall record as a head coach sits at 27-30 over four seasons, a number that says plenty about how uneven this run has been.
For Eagles fans, though, Steichen is still remembered for something much bigger than his current situation. He was Nick Sirianni’s offensive coordinator during Sirianni’s first two seasons in Philadelphia, and he played a major role in the team’s trip to the Super Bowl in 2022. As the source puts it: We are all the same thing: please fire Steichen and bring him home.
The reason that longing is hanging around is pretty simple. When Steichen took over play-calling duties in 2021, the Eagles’ offense changed in a hurry.
The team started that year at 2-5, then turned into a playoff team after the switch. By the end of the season, Philadelphia ranked 14th in yards and 12th in points.
The 2022 offense went even higher. The Eagles finished third in both yards and points, and that season remains the only one in the Sirianni era when the passing offense landed in the top 10 in yards.
Steichen’s head-coaching tenure in Indianapolis hasn’t produced that same kind of lift, but the offense around him has still shown it can function at a high level. Before the 2026 season, that unit was consistently in the top 15 in yards and points, doing the work of carrying a defense that struggled.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has gone the other direction in 2026 under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The numbers are ugly: 30th in total yards, 29th in rushing, 28th in points and 26th in passing. It has been far worse than last year’s offense under Kevin Patullo, which is saying something.
So if Indianapolis really is heading toward a Steichen change, the Eagles will be paying close attention. What happens next also depends on what the team does with Sirianni, whether he gets another season after the injury-filled 2026 campaign, and whether Philadelphia can get back to the playoffs.
If Sirianni is still in place in 2027 and the offense keeps sputtering, Mannion would be the obvious casualty. In that scenario, Steichen would be a logical target to return as offensive coordinator. Jalen Hurts played better under Steichen, and he showed he knows how to keep the offense balanced.
However it plays out, Philadelphia is going to need some kind of offensive reset. Steichen has already shown he can run a productive unit, and Eagles fans would surely welcome him back if the opportunity ever opens up.
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