The Indianapolis Colts’ 2025 season will be remembered for two things. First, Philip Rivers’ shocking return, and second, how they began and the brutal unraveling that followed.
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Indy opened the season with a solid 8-2 record, but a second-half slide ultimately led to playoff elimination, exposing uncomfortable truths about depth, durability, and the franchise’s long-term direction. Much of that unraveling can be traced back to a single moment: quarterback Daniel Jones’ season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14.
Without Jones’ mobility, the Colts’ run-pass options stalled, play-calling tightened, and backup plans quickly proved inadequate. The losses stacked up, and with each week, the illusion of a contender faded further. As the franchise processed that reality, however, owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was quietly framing what might come next.
Following the Colts’ pivotal Week 14 loss vs. the Jaguars, Irsay-Gordon offered a telling reflection that now, in hindsight, reads less like a passing thought and more like a sign of things to come.
“Most people don’t like change… I think there’s something wrong with me, but I feel like it is the one thing that is a guarantee. I think it can be exciting,” she said back then.
Expect major changes for the Colts this offseason.
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon wants perfection. pic.twitter.com/OzMLLHegnW
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 31, 2025
At the time, the quote landed softly because the Colts were still clinging to postseason hopes. But now, it feels like foreshadowing, with Irsay-Gordon’s words reflecting how she sees the organization as something that must evolve rather than cling to past comfort.
The proof for this claim can be traced back to all the comments she has made in the last few months.
Throughout the season, Irsay-Gordon has consistently framed football decisions through the lens of learning. Earlier in December, she even left a message written beneath a clock inside the Colts’ facility: “The things which hurt, instruct.” She boxed the quote in as well, so it wouldn’t be erased, showing her faith in both the process and the results.
That said, the message also mirrors her broader philosophy. “It’s not change just to change,” she explained. “We have to compete with other teams. We have to look outside and define meaningfully what is going on outside and how do we need to pivot inside in order to remain relevant, in order to remain competitive?”
This framing matters because it shifts the attitude from blaming to acknowledgment. So when the Colts’ collapse exposes roster fragility, quarterback dependency, and the limits of their margin for error, for an owner who prides herself on process and neutrality, ignoring those lessons would run counter to everything she’s said publicly.
Moreover, Carlie Irsay-Gordon has also stressed that decision-making must be rooted in discipline. “I think, essentially, what makes a team is the connection and the relationships you have with the people here,” she said, reminding that the changes she makes won’t be reckless, but deliberate.
Keeping all this in mind, the implication is clear: nothing is untouchable.
Whether that means a soft reset, a philosophical pivot, or a bigger structural change, the Colts are now standing at their most consequential offseason in years. And their owner, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, has made it clear she isn’t afraid of what comes next.
