The Indianapolis Colts opened the season with another close defeat Sunday night, falling 33-30 to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime and extending a slide that has become impossible to ignore. Indianapolis is now 0-2, owner of the NFL’s longest active losing streak at nine games, with its defense surrendering historic levels of production through two weeks.
For cornerback Sauce Gardner, the downturn is especially jarring. Gardner arrived in Indianapolis in a midseason trade last year after spending most of his career with a New York Jets team that went 20-39 from 2022 through Week 9 of 2025, the league’s fourth-worst record over that span. The Jets lost roughly two-thirds of their games during his time there.
Gardner joined a Colts club that stood 7-2 and held the NFL’s best record at the time. Indianapolis won its first game after the trade, but has not won since. The current streak began with another overtime loss to Kansas City in Week 12 last season and included seven consecutive defeats to close the year, when injuries ravaged the roster.
“It doesn’t feel good at all,” Gardner said after Sunday’s loss. “We have to change it. I came here excited about winning and expecting to win. This team has the talent and the coaches. We have to finish games when the clock reaches zero.”
The Colts have more of their key personnel available than they did late last season. Quarterback Daniel Jones has returned from an Achilles injury, Gardner has been largely healthy after dealing with injuries down the stretch last year, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is back following neck surgery. Yet the results have remained the same.
Indianapolis has allowed 1,023 yards across its first two games, including more than 500 yards in each outing. Only the 2016 Oakland Raiders, who gave up 1,035 yards through two weeks, have permitted more yardage at this point of an NFL season.
Colts facing mounting pressure
Head coach Shane Steichen said the Colts are close to breaking through but acknowledged that they have repeatedly failed in decisive moments.
“We are right there, but we have to find a way to close games,” Steichen said. “This is an extremely difficult league, and you have to win the tight ones.”
Steichen is 25-28 since taking over in 2023. The Colts have not reached the playoffs since 2020 and have not won the AFC South since 2014, three years before general manager Chris Ballard was hired. Ballard is now in his 10th season running football operations.
Scrutiny around Steichen, Ballard and the veteran core is intensifying. Major personnel changes and dismissals could follow if the franchise does not show tangible improvement in 2026. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has already made clear that progress is expected in her second full year leading the organization alongside her two sisters.
Safety Cam Bynum said the Colts must recover the confidence that carried them through the first half of last season.
“I don’t think we won a preseason game, either,” Bynum said. “We need to get back to expecting to win and get back the swagger we had when things were rolling last year. It starts with our mindset.”
Gardner has done his part individually despite the team’s problems. He played through a rib injury against Kansas City and has been targeted only five times over 78 coverage snaps this season. Opposing quarterbacks have completed four passes for 57 yards when throwing his way, producing a 6.4% target rate that is below his previous career low of 9.3% in 2023.
Still, the former All-Pro cornerback has little consolation in strong coverage numbers while the losses continue. Gardner said he remained on the field Sunday because he wanted to do whatever he could to help Indianapolis finally get over the line.
“I was trying to stay out there and do everything possible to help us win,” Gardner said. “But we came up short again.”
