Indianapolis, IN
‘That division is very winnable’: NFL executives believe Colts will win AFC South in 2025
While fans don’t seem optimistic about the Indianapolis Colts after another disappointing season, that doesn’t mean NFL executives feel the same.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke to several NFL team executives, scouts, and personnel figures for a recent article, and they seemed confident in the Colts in 2025. The execs went as far as to say Indianapolis would win the AFC South, which it hasn’t done since 2014.
According to the article: Indianapolis has toiled in the middle of the pack for most of the past decade, with one playoff win since 2014 — which came six years ago. General manager Chris Ballard has promised change, admitting the roster he built is “not close.” But the Colts are always sort of close to a playoff berth, which is the problem. They never seem to do enough to vault into a new tier, and simply running it back is not an option. Evaluators believe the Colts could become more aggressive in free agency this year, which is needed.
“They’ve drafted pretty well, so the roster isn’t barren,” a high-ranking NFL official said. “Adding a few more pieces and supporting the quarterback (Anthony Richardson) could go a long way. And that division is very winnable.”
The Colts went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Owner Jim Irsay retained head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard but parted ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was hired to replace Bradley.