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Not many Indianapolis Colts fans, particularly former punter Pat McAfee, are happy with the team's 2024 season outcome. After an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants ended their playoff hopes, head coach Shane Steichen was forced to respond to McAfee's criticism of the team.
McAfee criticized the team for hearing rumors that players were consistently late for mandatory meetings. Steichen responded with a troubling statement, claiming that no single team can be accountable for all 52 players.
“I think with any team, not everyone's gonna be on time every time,” Steichen said in his Dec. 30 media presser. “But there is accountability, and guys are held to a standard. That is talked about in-house.”
Steichen claimed that McAfee's statement was motivated by frustration over the Colts' failure to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Along with being a former player, McAfee still lives in Indianapolis, where he shoots daily episodes of The Pat McAfee Show.
“I think Pat, he's a former alumni that wants to see the Colts do well, just like all our fans. When the standard isn't [met], it's frustrating, for myself included. We're talking about the standard being raised so we're not in these situations.”
The loss to the Giants only further strains Steichen's position with the Colts despite being in just his second season. The 39-year-old head coach has been increasingly criticized throughout 2024 for his handling of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and his overall failure to meet the team's expectations.
Shane Steichen, Colts continue current state of uncertainty
After missing out on the playoffs in the most disappointing way, the Colts are set to enter the 2025 offseason with a mountain of problems to address. Most of the team's questions surround Steichen and Richardson, neither of whom are guaranteed to return to their jobs.
Questions regarding Steichen's leadership abilities have been circling for months but were most prominent when he shockingly benched Richardson early in the year, only to give him the job back three games later. In just two seasons, Steichen has quickly become one of the coaches with the hottest seat in the NFL.
Richardson has been dealing with similar issues in his second season. The former No. 4 overall pick completed just 47.7 percent of his passes in 2024, a historically poor rate. His struggles as a passer have raised many doubts about his potential as a franchise quarterback.
Rumors around the league have suggested that Steichen and Richardson are a package deal; either both or none will return to the team in 2025. That makes them two of the biggest names to watch in the upcoming offseason.
