The Indianapolis Colts’ 2023-24 season did not go according to plan.
Heading into Shane Steichen’s rookie season as head coach, the general consensus among NFL experts was that the Colts would finish with another losing record. Instead, the Indianapolis Colts improved to 9-8 and came within one failed fourth-down conversion in the final game of winning the AFC South title for the first time since 2014.
Although the Indianapolis Colts lost rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who got hurt in Week 5 and opted to have season-ending surgery, they inserted backup Gardner Minshew and managed to complete their fourth winning season in Chris Ballard’s seven years as general manager.
Falling short of the playoffs, however, the Colts still have much work to do if they hope to build toward becoming a Super Bowl contender in the near future. Here are five things the Indianapolis Colts can do to improve in 2024.
Re-sign free agent Michael Pittman Jr.
The Indianapolis Colts and Pittman need to come together and discuss a mutually beneficial extension after the fourth-year receiver just completed the best season of his career.
STATS: 109 receptions, 1,152 receiving yards, 10.6 yards/catch, four TDs
Although Pittman has played with seven quarterbacks in four seasons, he has proven to be a valuable asset to the Colts based on his ability to make tough catches and be a consistent, reliable target.
Beyond Pittman, there is a clear drop-off to the next-best receiver. For example, in the one game Pittman missed this season, the Indianapolis Colts passed for only 201 yards, with just one receiver gaining more than 50 yards.
Pittman is aware that the Colts could place the franchise tag on him at a cost of just under $20 million. Money shouldn’t be an issue for the Colts, who are expected to have about $71.2 million in cap space.
While Ballard has shown a reluctance to pursue any free-agent wide receiver in the past, he can’t let Pittman escape and play for someone else next season.
Get a full season from Anthony Richardson
For the Indianapolis Colts to be successful, they need their franchise quarterback to be healthy for a full season in 2024.
This past season was expected to be a developmental one for Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick last April. Until he broke his shoulder, the hope was that the Colts would monitor Richardson’s progress toward being their franchise quarterback.
Minshew filled in admirably, but his limitations — especially in terms of mobility — hindered what the offense could do.
Richardson’s biggest area of concern is his ability to be successful from the pocket. He showed promise against Tennessee, when he completed 75 percent of his passes, and against the Los Angeles Rams, when he passed for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and ran for another 56 yards and a score.
In particular, the Rams’ game showed off his dual-threat ability that made him so coveted coming out of Florida.
Being sidelined for the season has allowed Richardson to watch a lot of game film. Hopefully, the extra film study will mean Richardson is better prepared to read and understand NFL defenses, to operate from the pocket, and to utilize the offensive talent in his second season.
Upgrade the tight end position
If the Indianapolis Colts keep Pittman, the one offensive position that needs the most help and improvement is tight end.
There was a lot of hype about Jelani Woods, who at 6-foot-7 and 253 pounds was thought to be a matchup problem for opposing defenses, similar to Jordan Thomas, especially in the red zone. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury cost Woods his entire second season.
With Woods out of the lineup, it allowed more opportunities for the other four rostered tight ends. Kylen Granson played 43 percent of the offensive snaps, followed by Mo Allie-Cox (37.8 percent), Andrew Ogletree (29.2 percent), and rookie Will Mallory (13.8 percent).
It’s no surprise that Granson was the most productive at the position.
| Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs | Catch % | |
| Kylen Granson | 50 | 30 | 368 | 12.3 | 1 | 60 |
| Mo Allie-Cox | 22 | 13 | 161 | 12.4 | 3 | 59.1 |
| Andrew Ogletree | 21 | 9 | 147 | 16.3 | 2 | 42.9 |
| Will Mallory | 26 | 18 | 207 | 11.5 | 0 | 69.2 |
Mallory, a rookie, might be the best receiving tight end, but he needs a lot of development as a blocker.
Regardless, the Colts need more production from the position, and they shouldn’t be counting on Woods, who has only played 33 percent of the snaps in his career.
Some early mock drafts have the Indianapolis Colts drafting Brock Bowers, Georgia’s elite tight end, with the 15th overall pick. At this point, nobody knows if Bowers will end up belonging in the same category as players like Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, or Tony Gonzalez.
But elite tight ends are a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches, and the Colts have no one on the roster who could be either that or a reliable receiving option behind Pittman.
Better in-game coaching
Steichen was garnering serious Coach of the Year attention until the final month of the season. He had to overcome quite a bit this season all while acclimating to a new position and organization. The obstacles included dealing with players violating the NFL’s gambling and PED policies, a rookie quarterback being lost for the season, and a contract dispute with a star player.
Nevertheless, Steichen was able to create one of the league’s better offenses. The Indianapolis Colts ranked 10th overall, using most of the same players from the previous season.
For all of Steichen’s offensive success, however, there were some times when he likely overthought the situation or tried to be too “cute. One example was his play selection on the fourth and one call, which drew some harsh criticism.
Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley also faced scrutiny. At times, it appeared he made little, if any, in-game adjustments to stop or slow down the opponent. Although Bradley’s secondary was young and riddled with injuries, his game plans to stop, for example, Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins, Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua, and Jake Browning, the Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback seemed to be lacking.
Steichen doesn’t seem interested in replacing Bradley, as he said at a recent press conference, because he believes in continuity. Regardless, the coaches need to do a better job of managing the game.
Invest in the defense
The two areas that need the most investment are the secondary and at edge rusher.
Since Robert Mathis retired in 2016, the Colts have lacked one reliable pass rush threat.
Although the Colts recorded a franchise-record 51 sacks, fifth-best in the NFL, they have lacked one reliable pass rush threat since Robert Mathis retired in 2016. To get one, Ballard might have to abandon his current way of operating during free agency and possibly overspend to acquire a premier pass rusher.
As for the secondary, this position group was hit hard with injuries. But first, Isaiah Rodgers was cut and suspended for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Dallis Flowers tore his Achilles and was lost for the season. Rookie JuJu Brents spent more time on the injured list than he did on the field. Julian Blackmon ended the season on IR due to a shoulder injury and will head into free agency with questions about his durability.
Rookie Jaylon Jones showed some promise. Then there are second-year players Rodney Thomas and Nick Cross, a former seventh-round pick who flashed some potential, especially in the wake of Blackmon’s injury. However, Thomas and Cross each made critical mistakes in Week 18; their blown coverages contributed heavily to the loss to Houston.
Instead of searching for free agent help, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Colts address their defensive needs in the upcoming draft.