The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2026 season as one of the NFL’s biggest wild cards. Their range of outcomes is massive. Good health could bring back the momentum of last year’s 8-2 start, but there’s also a path where Daniel Jones is far from his pre-injury self, Alec Pierce can’t fill Michael Pittman’s shoes, and things implode by Halloween.
So, which direction will things go? Here are five Colts bold predictions that could define their season.
2026 Colts Bold Predictions
1. Josh Downs Tops Colts Bold Predictions
Josh Downs is about to have a monster season.
The Colts traded Pittman to the Steelers this offseason, a few months after shipping Adonai Mitchell to the Jets in the Sauce Gardner blockbuster. That’s a lot of vacated targets suddenly available in Shane Steichen’s offense.
Yes, Alec Pierce just got paid and projects as the team’s WR1. But Pierce is still primarily a vertical threat. He wins deep, stretches defenses, and creates explosive plays. That’s not the same thing as being a high-volume receiver.
That role belongs to Downs.
Downs already proved he can consistently separate from the slot, and he may get more opportunities to play from the outside with Pittman gone. With Indianapolis likely featuring quick-game concepts to protect Jones, Downs finishes with 105 catches, 1,150 yards, and earns his first Pro Bowl nod.
And with an average fantasy draft position out of the top 100, he’ll end up winning plenty of fantasy leagues too.
2. Anthony Richardson Traded to the Jets
Never mind the talk at OTAs. The Anthony Richardson era in Indianapolis is heading toward an inevitable ending.
Despite all the positive buzz — Richardson reportedly showing up to OTAs in shape, throwing well, and saying all the right things — one thing still matters more than all of it:
He never rescinded his trade request. And Indianapolis simply isn’t going to carry Daniel Jones’ sizable salary — two years, $88 million — while also paying Richardson roughly $10 million in the fourth year of his rookie deal to sit on the bench.
Honestly, the OTAs’ optimism may be mutually beneficial. The Colts needed Richardson to look good. Richardson needed to remind the league of his upside. Both sides benefit if another team finally talks itself into making a move.
The Jets decide they have nothing to lose by taking a cheap swing on Richardson’s upside. They send Indianapolis a seventh-round pick, hoping they can salvage the former No. 4 overall pick’s career.
At that price, why not? The Colts move forward with Jones and Riley Leonard, while the Colts close the book on one of the most disappointing quarterback experiments in franchise history.
3. Tyler Warren Leads All Tight Ends in Receiving
Tyler Warren showed in his rookie season that getting drafted 14th overall was no accident. In Year 2, he’ll become the best receiving tight end in football.
Warren finished fifth among tight ends in receiving yards (817) as a rookie in 2025, and now the runway is completely clear for him to take over this offense. Pittman is gone. The Colts need a reliable middle-of-the-field weapon, and Warren is tailor-made for that role.
The second-year leap is real for elite young tight ends, especially ones who entered the league as polished receiving threats. Warren already showed he could handle a featured role as a rookie. Now he gets a full offseason as a foundational piece of the offense.
If Warren simply makes the typical second-year leap while maintaining his rookie target share, he has a realistic path to greatness. Warren finishes with 1,125 receiving yards, leading all NFL tight ends.
4. Riley Leonard Steps in for Gimpy Daniel Jones, Stuns Chiefs
Jones will be just nine months removed from Achilles surgery when the season begins. While he’s cleared to play, Indianapolis quickly discovers there’s a difference between being available and being fully recovered.
In Week 2, Jones aggravates the injury, forcing rookie Riley Leonard into action against Kansas City for a prime-time, Sunday night game.
And Leonard delivers.
Remember, Leonard already showed flashes last year as a rookie when, in his lone start, he faced the league’s best defense in the Houston Texans on their home turf and looked poised, athletic, and unafraid to push the ball downfield. Now he gets a Chiefs defense that no longer has the same secondary after both starting cornerbacks left for the Rams in free agency.
The result?
Three touchdown passes. A true breakout moment.
5. Colts Sneak into Playoffs on Final Play of Season
As one of the NFL’s most unpredictable teams, what more fitting end to the regular season than a playoff berth hanging in the balance on the final snap? There are plenty of bumps in the road, but after missing time early in the season, Jones returns late in the year looking much closer to the quarterback the Colts thought they signed.
The Colts bold predictions include beating their nemesis — the Jaguars — in a home finale. Trailing by four with less than a minute remaining, Jones launches a deep shot to Pierce streaking behind the secondary. Touchdown. Lucas Oil Stadium erupts. The Colts finish 10-7 and steal the AFC’s final wild-card berth on the final snap of the regular season.
Main Image: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
