The most surprising team of the 2025 season has been the Indianapolis Colts, who have come out of nowhere and taken over the NFL. In the preseason, I had no faith in the Colts and even had them posted as an under-the-radar team that could contend for the first overall pick. Safe to say I was way off the mark, and my lack of confidence in Shane Steichen was clearly misguided, as he has completely turned the organization on its head.
Steichen was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator when they lost the 2023 Super Bowl to the Chiefs and had a proven track record of working with quarterbacks. When he first landed with the Colts, Steichen’s first big move was pushing for the Colts to draft one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks I have ever seen in Anthony Richardson.
I had Richardson graded as QB 1B alongside CJ Stroud
Richardson has not worked out with the Colts for several reasons, with many scouts citing his attitude and other off-field issues. Indianapolis decided to bring in some competition for Richardson, hoping it would boost his attitude and push him to the next level. Little did they know that the addition of Daniel Jones was a big deal, and he won the starting QB job straight out of training camp.
The Colts also selected Tyler Warren in the first round, and with star running back Jonathan Taylor returning from an ankle injury that plagued him all through the 2024 season, they rebuilt their offense. The Colts transitioned from a big-play offense that leaned heavily on the legs and arms of Anthony Richardson to one that was very reminiscent of the Eagles’ offense, which Steichen helped lead to the Super Bowl in 2023.
Jonathan Taylor was coming off several injury-riddled seasons. Still, after a full, healthy offseason, Steichen leaned on him heavily, and he has filled the “Saquon role” in the Colts offense. He has already surpassed 1000 yards with almost six yards per carry and 17 total touchdowns. Taylor has been dominant and is more than likely going to finish in the top five for MVP voting this season.
Taylor’s seamless fit into the offensive scheme has completely opened up the offense, exactly as Steichen envisioned in the offseason. This has taken a lot of pressure off of Daniel Jones, who was released by the Giants last season after struggling to get back on track. In New York, Jones had a lot of responsibility to create plays with both his arm and his legs, but in Indianapolis, he has been able to manage the game and read the defense in front of him.
Steichen has had immense success developing quarterbacks in the past and does an incredible job shaping his offense around their strengths. Daniel Jones is just the most recent example, but what many don’t notice about Steichen is his work with offensive linemen as well. The Colts’ offensive line has evolved over the last few seasons, and this year, they look like one of the best units in football.
In Philadelphia, Steichen developed one of the best offensive lines in football, and now in Indy, he is doing it again. Bernhard Raimann has become an incredible left tackle, earning a considerable extension. Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini have also developed into quality starters alongside their superstar in Quinton Nelson. The NFL has changed, and offensive line play is now as vital as ever, and Steichen knows that, which is a massive part of the Colts’ success this season.
At the beginning of the season, the Colts did not appear to have a roster that was all that special. They had an injury-riddled running back, a quarterback who was released out of a massive contract by the 3-14 Giants, an average offensive line, and their best reciever was a first-round TE. But what no one (including myself) took into consideration was the incredible mind of Shane Steichen, which has launched this into the playoff race and has them dominating the AFC.
