Report: Sense around league is that Colts standing pat with Shane Steichen right now

It’s the second time we’ve heard in as many weeks that the Indianapolis Colts currently plan to stick with head coach Shane Steichen in 2025.

According to The Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini on ‘The Scoop City Podcast,’ the general sense around the league is that the Indianapolis Colts are not planning on moving on from head coach Shane Steichen at this time—although that could still change:

After an impressive rookie head coaching debut for the Colts in 2023—which saw Indianapolis narrowly miss the playoffs, despite playing with a backup quarterback for the large majority of last year (who would become a 1x Pro Bowler under the first-year head coach), Steichen seemingly had a sophomore regression this season.

The Colts will finish under .500 and miss the playoffs for a consecutive year. He’s currently 16-17 (.485) in his first two seasons as head coach of the Colts.

First, Steichen initial’s offensive scheming and playbook didn’t seen to maximize starting 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson’s strengths, behind a once struggling Indy o-line. Perhaps Steichen was trying to protect his young quarterback, but the play-calling seemed to keep Richardson in the pocket for deep throws, with few checkdown options, and didn’t utilize his greatest strengths, his athleticism and dual-threat mobility, nearly enough.

Second, Steichen has to overhaul how he handles the media and their tough questions. His complete deflecting of questions has led to greater PR controversies arising, particularly as it relates to franchise quarterback hopeful Anthony Richardson. It’s important to be honest to a point, but in the interests of the team, not airing out all the unnecessary ‘dirty laundry’ to outsiders.

Third, the Colts arguably also need to get stronger internally from a leadership, culture, and player accountability standpoint—which appears to have been lacking at W. 56th Street.

The 39-year-old head coach still has four years left on his current Colts contract, which also means he’ll likely be back for at least one more season for Indianapolis—in what will presumably be a ‘make or break’ year for the 3rd-year head coach.

From that standpoint, both he and Anthony Richardson will likely be ‘tied to the hip’ for the 2025 season, with their success depending on the other’s ability to improve and progress.

It makes sense too to run it back with both Steichen and Richardson for at least the 2025 campaign. Despite his availability concerns, Richardson has shown enough growth and maturation since his two-game benching to further warrant the Colts truly seeing what they have with him in the realistic hopes that he can be their next franchise quarterback.

There’s also not clear upgrades in this upcoming rookie NFL draft class. Not to mention, what it would take the Colts, currently projected to have the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to trade up and get that top quarterback prospect they’d covet in such a situation. Richardson remains as talented and about as young as any top quarterback prospect in this year’s class.

Lastly, Steichen has had great success with another mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts (and the Colts quarterbacks coach Cam Turner with Cam Newton), so who else would the Colts be bringing in from a head coaching perspective that can maximize Richardson’s legs? It also behooves Richardson for his early development to not have to learn a new offensive playbook entirely.

When you look at it all collectively for the Colts, and it makes some sense to run it back with Steichen and Richardson for at least one more ride together in 2025.

As for Steichen, when recently asked about his job security going forward, he answered, “I control what I can control.”