Shane Steichen's staying put with the Indianapolis Colts.
Steichen will remain the head coach of the Colts entering the 2025 season -- his third at the helm -- team owner Jim Irsay announced on Sunday after the team's Week 18 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Irsay also said that general manager Chris Ballard, who has been in the role for eight seasons, would be retained.
Amid a shaky 8-9 season, rumblings about Steichen’s job security increased in volume following a 45-33 Week 17 loss to the New York Giants.
The loss to the Giants eliminated the Colts from postseason contention, extending the franchise's playoff drought to four years.
Steichen, who's produced a 17-17 record over two seasons in Indy, has kept the Colts in contention for a playoff spot through at least Week 17 in both years at the helm.
After Steichen's arrival following a successful stint as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator, the Colts selected Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Overflowing with athleticism and potential, Richardson was very short on experience. His play received good early returns as a rookie, but Richardson was lost for much of his rookie season due to a shoulder injury.
Steichen became a Coach of the Year contender, however, as he kept Indy in the playoff hunt until the final week of the campaign with backup Gardner Minshew at the helm.
This season was starkly different at QB. Richardson struggled woefully with his accuracy and was briefly benched midseason in favor of Joe Flacco. The veteran subsequently struggled as well, and Richardson returned to the starting role in short order, but the team ultimately did not win enough games to reach the postseason.
Richardson is expected to be the team's starter in 2025, as NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Dec. 29. Steichen and Ballard will be back, as well.
