One of the biggest disappointments of this NFL season was the Indianapolis Colts. 2024 was supposed to be the year where these young Colts took a step forward, but that didn’t happen. Anthony Richardson struggled mightily for a large part of the season, head coach Shane Steichen benched him at one point, and the team sputtered to an 8-9 campaign and narrowly missed out on the playoffs in the AFC.
Despite the disappointing result, Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard will both be back for another year in 2025. At the Colts’ end-of-season press conference, Ballard took the blame for the team’s failures and admitted that the end of the season left a sour taste in his mouth, according to James Boyd of The Athletic.
“I’ve got to own all of that, I do,” Ballard said. “I’m not gonna run from it, but I’ve definitely gotta own it because it’s real. It is the truth. I’m disappointed. I think y’all know me well enough to know I’m extremely hard on myself. I care deeply about this organization, this city. I want to do well for them.
“There’s definitely a sense of guilt for not getting it done at this time,” he added.
Despite the turmoil of the season, the Colts still had a chance to win their way into the playoffs late in the season. However, frustrating losses in winnable games against the Denver Broncos and New York Giants kept them out in the end. If they endure a similar result in 2025, the Colts could be looking to clean house next offseason.
Anthony Richardson in for do-or-die 2025 season
Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen aren’t the only ones whose jobs are likely on the line next season. Quarterback Anthony Richardson will be entering his third season in the NFL and must show improvement to inspire the Colts to keep him around.
Richardson showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie season, but he ended up spending most of that year on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury. In his second season in 2024, the operation wasn’t as smooth. Richardson’s process seemed to take a step back and he continued to struggle with accuracy issues, leading Steichen to bench him in the middle of the season for a few weeks.
The Richardson experience went a little bit better after he was re-inserted into the lineup, but it wasn’t enough for the Colts to consistently put a very good offense on the field. The accuracy issues persisted and the offense sputtered at times as a result.
Now, Richardson is under a lot of pressure headed into 2025. Considering the fact that he already was benched this season, he likely only has one more year to prove that he can be the franchise guy in Indianapolis. If next season goes south in a way similar to how this one did, Ballard Steichen and Richardson could all be looking for new homes a year from now.
