As 2025 draws to a close, where do the Colts go from here?

What a season 2025 was for the Indianapolis Colts. To call it a roller coaster would be a lie because those have ups and downs scattered throughout. The Colts literally made the climb to the first major hill and then plummeted down. The ride was over as quickly as it had begun. This was a tale of two halves with the bye week serving as the clear delineation. 2025 is now in the past as the Colts conclude their season on Sunday. The question is, where do they go from here?

There are a ton of options, some of which could be clear after the conclusion of the season, but all roads have to lead to Chris Ballard’s firing. Thomas Butler-Guerrero of Stampede Blue laid out a major case as to why by helping highlight the fact that eight different starters have concluded the season for this franchise over the last eight years. We can point to injuries, and that would be fair on some level. It wouldn’t be a fair characterization overall, however. Andrew Luck retiring was unfortunate, but there has been no ability to cover the hole in seven seasons. That falls directly on Ballard.

What about the roster? We saw glimpses and flashes, but we also saw some disappointing performances. Alec Pierce is in line for a payday, but Michael Pittman Jr. is regressing. DeForest Buckner and Charvarius Ward sustained substantial injuries. Will both come back? Is this a soft reset type of year in which aging veterans are dangled in trades or released to find better opportunities? Let’s not even get started on the quarterback position. Signs are Daniel Jones could be back in time, but what if he isn’t and what will he even look like?

It seemed there were so many answers when the Colts sat at 7-1 or even 8-2. Now, the Colts have way too many questions. The roster and staff could look completely different, or they could run it back claiming bad luck. New ownership is the wild card, so it is difficult to look to the past for an indication of the future. It is unknown where the Colts will go in 2026, but you have to hope they don’t remain where they are currently.