New NFL Rumors on Shane Steichen's Hot Seat as Colts HC After Chris Ballard's Firing as GM

Having already fired general manager Chris Ballard amid a 2-4 start to the season, Shane Steichen's future as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts is now being monitored around the NFL.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano , Steichen's job is not believed to be in immediate danger after Ballard's dismissal.

According to Fowler, the "sentiment as of now" is the Colts will give Steichen a chance to "state his case" to remain head coach going forward.

Graziano added Steichen is "well-regarded" by people in the organization, but it is a "situation worth monitoring for potential change at the end of the season, if not sooner."

Ballard was fired one day after the Colts' 26-20 loss to the previously-winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The move marked the end of his 10-year tenure with the club that produced a 72-82-1 record and two playoff appearances.

Indianapolis' five-year playoff drought coming into this season was tied with the New Orleans Saints for the third-longest active drought in the NFL.

It was a little surprising the Colts opted not to do a full housecleaning by firing Steichen since there were already rumblings about his job status at the end of last season after they lost seven straight games following an 8-2 start.

Steichen is 27-30 as Colts head coach since being hired after the 2022 season. He had a winning record at 9-8 in his first year, but has finished under .500 in the past two seasons and is on pace to do so again in 2026.

There's certainly an argument that the recent failures for the Colts are more attributable to Ballard than Steichen.

Some of those moves include trading away two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner; giving Daniel Jones a two-year, $88 million contract in March, four months removed from tearing his Achilles; and signing Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116 million contract right before he underwent ankle surgery.

Pierce has only played in two games this season due to a heel injury related to his offseason surgery. Jones ranks 30th out of 33 qualified quarterbacks in QBR.

Steichen hasn't been helping the situation, at least in obvious ways. Their loss to the Titans included giving up 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown on a blocked punt.

Since the Colts are already in the market for a new general manager, it's not often that an incoming executive retains the head coach from the previous regime.

If the Colts are using the next few weeks as an evaluation period for Steichen, the schedule doesn't do him any favors. Their next two games are on the road against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings and AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars.