The Indianapolis Colts have already fired their general manager, traded franchise staples on both sides of the ball and begun taking calls on star running back Jonathan Taylor. But owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon still has more tough decisions to make.

The Colts’ 2026 season only got worse on Sunday, falling 42-7 to the Jaguars as Daniel Jones threw two interceptions and Jacksonville ran for 183 yards in total. While expectations weren’t high for Indianapolis after its recent trades, there were few areas of encouragement.

At this point, the Colts — now 2-6 but owing their 2026 first-rounder to the Jets — appear headed for another all-out rebuild. And it may soon be time to part ways with not just one, but both their head coach and starting quarterback.

Here’s why it’s time for Indianapolis to fire Shane Steichen and bench Jones, if not part ways with him.

MORE: Meet undrafted Ravens QB Joe Fagnano, who took over as starter vs. Bills

Why the Colts should move on from Shane Steichen, Daniel Jones

The Colts haven’t been able to find an identity as a franchise for a decade now. Since Andrew Luck retired, they’ve had a revolving door of failed franchise quarterbacks, including far too many stop-gap veterans (Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, etc.). The team has made just two playoff appearances in the last 11 seasons, which is likely soon-to-be 12 seasons.

The start of the 2025 campaign provided some false hope; Jones came in and looked rejuvenated, and a strong rushing attack helped pave the way to an 8-2 start to the year. The playoffs appeared imminent, and Indianapolis even went all-in on the hot start by acquiring Sauce Gardner from the Jets for two first-round picks.

But after Jones’ season-ending injury, the Colts collapsed, struggling to find an answer at quarterback between Anthony Richardson, Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard. 

Any hope that 2026 could look like the start of 2025 is already lost. Since their 2025 bye week, the Colts have a 2-13 record. Jones hasn’t looked nearly as athletic as his pre-Achilles injury self this season, and his longtime turnover issues have resurfaced. Indianapolis’ defense has also allowed 41 points to the Ravens, 33 to the Chiefs, 34 to the Steelers and 42 to the Jaguars. 

Irsay-Gordon finally cut ties with GM Chris Ballard recently, marking a new era for the franchise as it likely enters another rebuild; franchise staples Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner were also traded before Week 8. There could be more moves on the way. Taylor is appearing in trade rumors and conversations, while wide receiver Josh Downs requested a trade from the team.

A 42-7 loss to the Jaguars should be proof enough that more significant decisions are necessary. The first should be deciding Jones’ future. He clearly isn’t going to be the quarterback of the Colts’ near-or-long-term future, up to seven interceptions so far this season while completing under 60% of his passes.

“I gotta play better. Gotta execute more consistently,” Jones said on Sunday. “Put the team in position to score points and win these games.”

The two-year, $88 million extension the quarterback signed this past offseason is looking like a mistake. According to Spotrac, the Colts would take on $35.2 million in dead cap if they part ways with Jones next offseason. Assuming there are no trade avenues available — perhaps the Ravens would be interested after Week 8 injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley — Jones will be stuck with the Colts for at least the rest of 2026.

At the very least, it’s time for the Colts to see where Richardson is at in his development, rather than letting Jones lead a rough offense the rest of the year. After Jones threw his two interceptions on Sunday, including a pick-six, Richardson eventually stepped into the game in the fourth quarter, completing two passes.

According to James Boyd, Steichen said postgame that he is evaluating “everything,” including whether Jones should be starting moving forward. But if a 2-6 record and seven interceptions say anything, it’s that Jones is going to be the quarterback the Colts were hoping he could be after his Achilles injury.

By starting Richardson for the rest of 2026, the Colts would get an understanding of whether they have a legitimate young quarterback option moving forward into 2027, or if they should prioritize drafting one early next April. Richardson has plenty of talent — the former No. 4 pick ran for 499 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 — but he’s been sidelined with various injuries as the Colts have also tried to prioritize his development on the bench.

Richardson opened up about the eye surgery he got last year to reporters after Sunday’s game:

As for Steichen, it’d be fair to point to the Colts’ Week 8 trades as a reason the talent they put on the field vs. Jacksonville wasn’t good enough. But at some point, losses have to reflect on a coach — and the Colts, riding a four-game losing streak, have been bad enough over the last calendar year to justify fully restarting with a new general manager, coach and quarterback.

Steichen, hired in 2023, hasn’t led the Colts to a playoff appearance, which likely won’t change this year. He owns a 27-31 record with the team as head coach.

“We got out-coached. We got out-played,” Steichen said of the loss to the Jaguars. 

It would require a major turnaround for the Colts to contend for a playoff spot in 2026, and it appears that’s a goal already out of reach. With sweeping franchise changes, including Ballard, Nelson and Buckner already parting ways, it would not be surprising to see Steichen become the first NFL coach fired in the coming days.

There’s a very real scenario in which the Colts enter 2027 with a new general manager, head coach, quarterback and top running back. As trade talks surrounding Taylor and Downs heat up, the future of Steichen and Jones in Indianapolis will be hot topics as well.

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