Colts Close 25-26 Season with Another Loss Against Texans
The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up the 2025 – 2026 season on Sunday, playing the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. What started as a season of hope and positivity ended with a defeat and a multi-week losing streak.
While this game could not have taken them to the playoffs or allowed their season to continue any further, the game still carried weight. Win or lose, their season was over, but fans were hoping to end on a high note. Sadly, this game ended the same way that many, many others this season have.
For the first time this season and in his NFL career, rookie Riley Leonard started as quarterback. He showed great potential, throwing for 270 yards and three total touchdowns. He connected deep with the team, including an impressive 66-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Alec Pierce. Leonard also set records, becoming the first player in franchise history to record two passing scores and a rushing touchdown in his debut.
Jonathan Taylor was also leaned on to lead offensively. Taylor ground out yards, finishing with over 70 yards within the first half. Early in the third quarter, the Texans struck first, and the Colts found themselves playing catch-up. While Leonard showed resilience, the offense overall struggled to sustain drives when it mattered most.
Along with Leonard, Pierce contributed significantly to their scoring, finishing with 132 yards and two touchdowns. He then got his time cut short on the field due to an altercation with an official. The team’s momentum was noticeably drained after this event.
One final push in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to just one score. Ultimately, it was not enough to stop the Texans, and Houston sent the Colts back to Indianapolis, defeated and with their season over.
Season Summary
The 2025 – 2026 NFL season will be one of the most significant in the Colts’ history. It started so promising and exciting, and people were beginning to take Indianapolis seriously. For weeks at the start, the Colts were ranked #1 in the league and held onto the #1 spot in the AFC for some time after. At one point, their record was 8-2. It was a complete 180 from what we had seen in previous years, and some fans even saw the Colts making it to the Super Bowl.
In the middle of the season, the Colts found themselves losing week after week. And just when things could not get worse, Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury that took him out for the rest of the season. It felt like a point of no return had been reached.
While the Colts did what they could to make up for the consistent losses and quarterback injuries, they fell short. Regardless, this era of the Colts will be remembered for years to come. History was made, and players gave it their all.
Looking ahead
It feels like we blinked and the season was already over, but there is no need to fret. Given what players have shown us this season, it is realistic to expect a successful next year. In just one game, Riley Leonard proved himself capable. Jonathan Taylor carried the team throughout the whole season, and Daniel Jones earned the team a good reputation.
Though many questions go unanswered, the team has one clear focus: improvement. They know they are capable, and they have shown us what they can do. They raised the bar for themselves with the first half of the season, meaning they will only strive to raise it higher next season.