It is officially the 2026 offseason, and the "Steel City" draft in Pittsburgh is officially in the books. The energy in Indianapolis is fueled by a desperate need to "right the ship" after a season of historic highs and devastating lows. After watching over 800,000 fans take over the North Shore of Pittsburgh for the draft, the Indianapolis Colts emerged with a defensive-heavy haul designed to stabilize a unit that buckled during the final stretch of 2025.
This is a defining year for the Horseshoe. With Shane Steichen entering his fourth season as head coach and GM Chris Ballard entering his tenth, the pressure is on to end the franchise's longest postseason drought since the early '90s. After a 2025 campaign that saw an 8–2 start vanish into a seven-game collapse, the front office went "all-in," trading away their first-round pick for elite veteran help and using their remaining capital to inject toughness into the defense.
How to Get Colts Tickets for the 2026 Season
Lucas Oil Stadium is preparing for a high-profile home calendar alongside a massive international passport trip. With the full schedule release officially finalized on Thursday, May 14, 2026, ticket demand in Indiana is moving fast.
- Official On-Sale: Single-game tickets go live on Ticketmaster almost immediately following the NFL's official schedule release on May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
- Mobile-Only Entry: Lucas Oil Stadium is a strictly digital venue. You must use the Colts app or your mobile wallet to access tickets; screenshots and paper tickets are not valid.
- The "Sauce" Effect: With the arrival of All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, demand for home games against elite receivers (like the Cowboys or Bengals) is expected to hit record secondary market prices.
- Secondary Market: For high-stakes AFC South battles or the visit from the Ravens, check StubHub, the official fan-to-fan marketplace for verified resale.
Indianapolis Colts Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (ET) | Network |
1 | Sept 13 | Baltimore Ravens | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
2 | Sept 20 | @ Kansas City Chiefs (SNF) | Arrowhead Stadium | 8:20 PM | NBC / Peacock |
3 | Sept 27 | Houston Texans | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
4 | Oct 4 | @ Washington Commanders | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) | 9:30 AM | NFL Network |
5 | Oct 11 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Acrisure Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
6 | Oct 18 | Tennessee Titans | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | FOX |
7 | Oct 25 | @ Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
8 | Nov 1 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | EverBank Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
9 | Nov 8 | Dallas Cowboys | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | FOX |
10 | Nov 15 | Miami Dolphins | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
11 | Nov 19 | @ Houston Texans (TNF) | NRG Stadium | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
12 | Nov 29 | New York Giants | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1:00 PM | FOX |
13 | Dec 6 | BYE WEEK | — | — | — |
14 | Dec 13 | @ Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field | 1:00 PM | FOX |
15 | Dec 20 | @ Tennessee Titans | Nissan Stadium | 1:00 PM | CBS |
16 | Dec 27 | Cincinnati Bengals | Lucas Oil Stadium | TBD | TBD |
17 | Jan 3 | @ Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 1:00 PM | FOX |
18 | Jan 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Lucas Oil Stadium | TBD | TBD |
How to Watch the Colts in 2026
- Local/National:CBS (WTTV-4) remains the primary home for the Colts. FOX (WXIN-59) will carry NFC matchups, while NBC (WTHR-13) will host Sunday Night Football.
- Thursday Night:Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for all TNF games.
- Holiday Special: Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday. Netflix will exclusively stream the NFL's holiday games this year.
- Best Choice for Local Fans:Fubo covers all local Indianapolis affiliates (WTTV, WXIN, WTHR, WRTV) and the NFL Network.
- Pro Tip: For out-of-market "Horseshoe" fans, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV is the only way to catch every game. If you're traveling, use NordVPN set to Indianapolis to access your local WTTV/CBS stream.
The "Steel City" Draft: Colts 2026 Highlights
The Colts entered Pittsburgh without a first-round pick—having traded it to the Jets for Sauce Gardner—but Ballard was aggressive on Day 2, trading back with the Steelers to stockpile picks.
Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
Trade | — | Sauce Gardner | CB | Veteran (from Jets) |
2 | 53 | CJ Allen | LB | Georgia |
3 | 78 | A.J. Haulcy | S | LSU |
4 | 113 | Jalen Farmer | G | Kentucky |
4 | 135 | Bryce Boettcher | LB | Oregon |
5 | 156 | George Gumbs Jr. | DE | Florida |
6 | 214 | Caden Curry | EDGE | Ohio State |
Draft Analysis:
- The Defensive Dawg: With their top pick at #53, the Colts selected Georgia LB CJ Allen. A first-team All-American, Allen brings a "thumper" mentality to the middle of a defense that struggled to stop the run during last year's late-season slide.
- SEC/Big Ten Strategy: In a classic Ballard move, every single 2026 selection came from either the SEC or Big Ten, prioritizing players who have competed at the highest collegiate level.
- The "Sauce" Factor: While not a rookie, the trade for Sauce Gardner (for 2026 and 2027 1st rounders + Adonai Mitchell) was the real centerpiece of the Colts' offseason, providing Shane Steichen with a true "lockdown" presence in a division featuring CJ Stroud and Trevor Lawrence.
Indianapolis Colts: 2025 Season Recap
The 2025 season will go down as one of the most baffling collapses in NFL history. The Colts became only the third team since 1990 to start 8–2 and miss the playoffs, finishing 8–9 after a seven-game losing streak. The downward spiral was fueled by a brutal string of injuries at quarterback, with both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. missing significant time during the final two months.
Week | Opponent | Result | Record |
W1–W10 | Regular Season | 8–2 | 1st in AFC South |
W11–W18 | Regular Season | 0–7 | The Collapse |
Season Highlight | vs. Dolphins | W, 31–10 | Peak Efficiency |
Postseason | N/A | DNQ | — |