Shane Steichen’s Colts Echo Indiana’s Legacy of Grit and Team-First Success

It takes a lot to be a head coach in the NFL. Just ask any of the hundreds who have lost their jobs after failing to fulfil their promise. Entering this season, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen faced similar questions about his future.

After all, his leadership saw the franchise put up a 17-17 record over 2 seasons, missing the playoffs both times. Even though his play-calling was not a question mark, many felt he was better off as a coordinator. Then those questions went through the roof when he preferred to start Daniel Jones over Anthony Richardson, especially after the reputation ‘Danny Dimes’ had built over his career.

Some felt he was losing his way and could soon be out of the job if Jones continued with his errant throws. So far, that has not been the case, and the Colts find themselves at the top of the AFC South with a 3-0 record.

Many might point to the lackluster competition in two of those games, and the other win against the Denver Broncos was a lucky penalty that came their way.

However, when one listens to sound bites from the 40-year-old coach and the team, it strikes a different vibe this year. Sure, the death of longtime owner Jim Irsay is motivation, but it is not the only thing that moves this team.

This culture was being built along the way, and Shane Steichen‘s recent shoutout to the Indiana Fever’s head coach Stephanie White gave away what is driving him and this franchise.

Shane Steichen has leaned on Indiana’s team-first approach

The state of Indiana is usually known for its rich motorsports history, as well as basketball. Football was mostly an afterthought amid the glory achieved in those two disciplines.

Across the state, college basketball is the sport that fans mostly appreciate. The state continues to be a basketball hotbed, and most of its NCAA titles have come from teams focused on their capabilities as a group.

At least before the NIL era, college athletics was largely driven by team success, and the accomplishments of the Indiana Hoosiers, and then later, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, were a testament to that philosophy.

Sure, the UConn Huskies have won multiple championships with their star-studded teams, but it was the Indiana team-first DNA that has again come to the forefront in both college and professional sports.

A team effort saw the Indiana Pacers race up to the NBA Finals, and Stephanie White has willed her Fever to the WNBA playoff semifinals despite fielding a team playing without superstar Caitlin Clark and 5 other important players.

Shane Steichen seems to have infused the same team-first approach into the Colts. They do not have the Lamar Jacksons or the Justin Jeffersons in their squad, and still have won their opening three games, and are driven to continue on the same path.

For the boss

To bring a team together, sometimes it takes an external force to push them all into the same pile. Longtime owner Jim Irsay’s death shook many of the players and staff who have interacted with him.

After his death, there was confusion about whether his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, would be able to be the owners who drive the organization to success.

It requires a lot of dedication, and history has shown that owners who have empowered the staff to lead in whatever way they can have been successful. The Irsays seem to have empowered Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard to do things their way, and it has borne fruit.

Ballard has been building the team for the past 9 seasons, and his work this offseason is a testament to the type of players his head coach wanted. Be it Cam Bynum, Charvarius Ward, Xavien Howard, or Daniel Jones, these are players without massive egos.

However, they either have been good in their roles in the past, or want to prove their critics wrong. Either way, Steichen has been able to get the best out of them and the rest of the team due to the way he empowered them.

Bynum revealed to Colts’ great Pat McAfee on his show that every player is allowed to say what they want without going over the top. That brings about a sense of responsibility among the team.

More importantly, Steichen has been using the term, ‘For the Boss’, in team meetings. That is to remind the players that they need to lead each other towards the bigger cause, and that is to dedicate this season to Jim Irsay.

Without that leadership, empowerment, or responsibility, those would just seem like motivational words. But when players feel they are someone and that their collective strength is making them better, they bring forth a natural will to fight collectively.

Shane Steichen solved the Daniel Jones-Anthony Richardson dilemma in the team-first way

Before the 2025 season kicked off, the barbarians were at the gates of Shane Steichen, who decided to appoint offseason free agent signing Daniel Jones as his starting quarterback. Many felt it was a step that would undermine the franchise, as young QB Anthony Richardson had far greater potential than Jones, and could become an elite quarterback if coached properly.

Those critics also felt that Steichen was taking the easy way out with his job on the line, knowing Richardson’s struggles could ultimately cost him his job. At the same time, they wondered how it would look once Jones reverted to his Giants days.

In the past, the head coach did give his young QB enough time as a starter, and it seems the final straw was when he substituted himself in the middle of a game. It was against the team-first culture and brought nothing but negative attention to the franchise. Steichen saw Danny Dimes as the level-headed veteran QB who would not say much, but wanted to prove his doubters wrong.

The head coach probably also noticed that Jones would play the way he wanted. So far, Steichen has reaped the rewards of the faith he placed in his QB, as he has not given up a single turnover in their opening 3 games.

The Irsays do their part to help Shane Steichen build the team-first approach

When Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson took up their individual roles with the Indianapolis Colts, they knew they had to collectively drive the organization forward.

They all have families and other responsibilities, but they knew that together they could not go wrong. They have carried the same mentality into the performance part of the franchise.

Standing beside players on the sideline with her earphones in and with the play sheet in her hands has become CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s usual game day ritual. She is also along the sidelines when the team practices, again proving that she wants to be a part of the team’s growth. Kalen Jackson, on the other hand, has become the team’s biggest cheerleader.

She is often alongside the fans, cheering the team on, and handing out game balls and other tokens of appreciation to the players. The sisters have made it a point to be with the players and the staff in every way possible.

That cultivates the collective sense that Shane Steichen seemingly wants to lean on. He wants the team lacking true superstars to play collectively as one unit, striving for the same goal. Maybe it is just the Indiana way of playing sports, and ironically, the Colts needed a California native to dig deep and inculcate the grit and drive that have brought championships to the state.

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