CBS Sports ranks him there. Do you?
What to make of Shane Steichen…
He is a difficult one to fully pin down because there isn’t a ton of data on him as a head coach, yet what we do have to judge of his tenure has been rocky at best. Coming into 2025, his record is a smooth .500 (17-17), and while that isn’t terrible, it isn’t great either. CBS Sports has Steichen in the bottom third of NFL coaches, slipping a bit from last year from 19th to 22nd. That is their ranking. The question is whether or not that feels accurate.
Let’s start with the highest ranked coaches per CBS Sports in order: Reid, McVay, Harbaugh (John), Sirianni, and Campbell. With the exception of Campbell, all of those coaches have won a Super Bowl, and Campbell has at least built Detroit into a juggernaut. It is plain to see that Steichen is not part of that upper echelon, and most fans wouldn’t, or couldn’t, even attempt to make the argument he is deserving of such a rank.
Colts fans have to look further down the list to find their coach as he is nestled in the “Unproven or underwhelming” group. Hard to say which category Steichen falls under, but he is starting to tilt towards the underwhelming. Yes, he is still relatively new to his role, and the cards he was dealt haven’t been the best. Losing your rookie quarterback a few games into the season is a tough way to start, but he made the adjustment to Gardner Minshew quite well. The Colts got to within a play or two of making the playoffs with a major mid-season adjustment.
That run was so encouraging that one couldn’t help but imagine what he could do with a fully healthy Anthony Richardson. Although that isn’t exactly what he got in 2024, the results left something to be desired. The creativity and utilization of Richardson’s full ability appeared to be lacking. Additionally, and more concerning, was his handling of the locker room. With Richardson “tapping out” of the Houston game and Steichen’s subsequent mishandling of that situation to the lack of leadership and accountability from the veterans that created a clash of egos, it seems as though Steichen may not have as much of a grip on his team as required by a head coach. That is something he is going to have to improve and regain in year three.
Shane Steichen being lower middle seems about right. He hasn’t done enough to be considered more than that, yet at the same time, he isn’t necessarily circling the drain either. Just like young players, he still has time to make adjustments and improve. Year three will be huge for him. Fail to put it all together and the calls for his replacement will grow. Find consistency that leads to success and watch his ranking climb.