Play-caller
- Calls plays: Shane Steichen (HC) — confirmed. Steichen has called IND's plays since his 2023 hire and continues in 2026; OC Jim Bob Cooter does not call plays — he interviewed for the PHI OC job in part because Steichen was open to letting him pursue a play-calling opportunity, and he returned to IND without one (NBC Sports Philadelphia / heavy.com 1–2/2026; colts.com 2026 coaching-staff announcement; Steichen + Ballard returning confirmed by colts.com "2025 season recap / 2026 outlook").
- Tenure with team: HC/play-caller since 2023 (4th season) · Prior relationship with QB1: Year 2 with Daniel Jones — Jones's 2025 resurgence (0.344 EPA/play through 8 games) came in Steichen's system.
Last 3 play-calling stops (Steichen has called IND's plays all three seasons; three most recent seasons shown — PHI 2021–22 OC stops predate):
| Stop (team, yrs) | PROE | Neutral pass% | Sec/play (neutral) | Motion% | PA% | 11 / 12 / 21% | Condensed% | RB tgt share | WR1 TS | Inside-10 pass% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND 2025 | +1.7% (12th) full season; +3.1% in Jones's 12 full games | 55.6% | UNVERIFIED (59.9 plays/gm, 19th — not fast) | 42.6% | 28.0% of dropbacks (179 PA plays / 640) | 63.5 / 25.2 / 0.6% (13 pers. 10.1%) | UNVERIFIED | 14.5% | 21.1% (Warren, TE) / 20.9% (Pittman, top WR) | UNVERIFIED |
| IND 2024 | UNVERIFIED (below 2025 — "2025 PROE topped Steichen's first two seasons," NBC Sports 2026 preview) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
| IND 2023 | UNVERIFIED (below 2025, same source) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
Row sources: 2025 PROE +1.70% (12th) and 56% pass rate (T-19th) per statrankings/NBC Sports 2026 IND fantasy preview (fetched 2026-07-07); +3.1% PROE in Jones games, 55.6% neutral pass rate, 56.1% pass rate in Jones's games vs 54.1% other QBs per DraftSharks IND team preview (fetched 2026-07-07); motion/PA/personnel computed from data/stats/2025/participation.csv + ftn_charting.csv (nflverse, pulled 2026-07-07); RB target share 77/530 and WR1 TS from receiving.csv; plays/gm 59.9 (19th) and 37.9 dropbacks/gm (19th) per NBC preview (pbp_summary.csv shows 62.35 pass+rush plays/gm on its definition).
Read: Steichen is a slightly pass-lean, QB-friendly caller whose 2025 tilt (+3.1% PROE with Jones healthy) was the most aggressive of his IND tenure — but the identity is balance built on the league's best rush EPA (+0.05/play, 1st) and a TE-heavy shell: 12+13 personnel on ~35% of snaps, which feeds Tyler Warren and gates WR3 snaps hard. RB target share is modest (14.5%) but Taylor's 55 targets came with elite efficiency; there is no fed WR alpha — the No. 1 target in 2025 was the rookie TE, and Pittman's departure pushes the tree further toward Warren/Downs. Pace is middling (19th in plays/gm), so volume upside is script-dependent, not tempo-driven.
Scheme family
- Run scheme: Zone-lean with gap/duo mixed, heavy 12/13-personnel run looks — Steichen's system produced the NFL's best rush EPA (+0.05/play, 1st in 2025 — NBC preview) and a league-leading 73.1% carry share for Taylor. RB fits: every-down backs with vision and burst; Taylor is the scheme.
- Pass-game family: Steichen QB-friendly spread/west-coast hybrid with vertical shot element and RPO seasoning (7.2% RPO, 28% PA of dropbacks, 42.6% motion —
ftn_charting.csv/participation.csv2026-07-07). Implications: heavy 12/13 usage (~35%) makes the slot (Downs) and TE (Warren) the volume roles, keeps WR3 fantasy-dead, and reserves the boundary for low-volume/high-aDOT iso shots (Pierce, 20+ aDOT). Middle-of-field YAC lives with Warren (7.0 YAC/rec on throws under 10 yds — NBC preview).
