The Indianapolis Colts are hoping that in 2026, the team can repeat and then sustain the success they had through the first half of last season.
Led by Daniel Jones, the Colts were off to an 8-2 start and had one of the most productive offenses in football.
However, while that may be the vision, ESPN’s Ben Solak doesn’t believe repeating that success is likely.
Jones was one of the top producers at quarterback during that stretch, but he is now coming off a major injury. It’s also worth noting that defenses did start to slow the Colts’ offense down, even before Jones’ season-ending injury; we just never got to see how Jones and Shane Steichen were going to counter.
“It’s tough to expect anything close to a repeat performance from Jones in 2026, even before we consider the effect of the Achilles injury,” Solak wrote.
Solak also mentions that the Colts have to overcome a number of key departures this offseason as well. This includes Braden Smith, Michael Pittman, Zaire Franklin, Nick Cross, and Kenny Moore.
Not to be overlooked either, but the Colts will have to hit the ground running this season, with a tough start to their 2026 schedule.
That said, it’s not all bad by any means. Around Jones is what should be a stout offensive line unit and a lot of playmaking potential at the skill positions. He doesn’t have to do it all himself. The Colts also have what should be one of the top secondary units in the NFL.
There is certainly a path to success for this Colts team, but a lot of ifs create uncertainty.
“The sheer number of departures, along with uncertain health for Jones, makes them a tough horse to back in 2026,” Solak wrote.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts repeating early 2025 success in 2026 ‘seems unlikely’ says analyst
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
