Indianapolis Colts Fire Frank Reich, Signal Full Rebuilding Mode For First Time In 25 Years

These aren’t your older brother’s Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts fired head coach Frank Reich after four-plus seasons on Monday following their disastrous Week 9 loss to the New England Patriots, 26-3. The move comes just two games after Indianapolis made the decision to move on from veteran starter Matt Ryan to youngster Sam Ehlinger.

While many concluded the Colts were in rebuilding mode when they made the decision to move on from Ryan to Ehlinger, Indianapolis was actually in the thick of the playoff hunt at 3-3-1. In fact, they weren’t too far behind the Tennessee Titans, who were 4-2 after Week 7.

But after their worst offensive performance of the season versus a mediocre Patriots squad — they produced just 121 total yards, averaging 2.0 yards per play and going 0-for-14 on third down conversions — a move had to be made.

The Colts’ demise since Reich’s hiring isn’t purely his fault — it’s an organizational failure more than anything.

When Reich was hired in 2018, the Colts had Andrew Luck as its franchise quarterback. In other words, they were in good position to return to form after clinching playoff berths during Luck’s first three seasons in the NFL.

However, Luck unexpectedly retired at the age of 28 in 2019 and it kickstarted the Colts’ demise. Since then, Indianapolis has gone through a silly quarterback carousel consisting of over-the-hill veterans, including the likes of Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Ryan.

Despite featuring some nice talent on the offensive side of the ball — Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor and receiver Michael Pittman Jr. — Indianapolis has lacked the necessary talent on offense and the proper stability at the quarterback position in order to contend.

The Colts’ impulsiveness when it comes to their decisions at quarterback — Indianapolis has started six different quarterbacks since 2019 — isn’t something that has gone unnoticed in the locker room.

As former Indianapolis running Nyheim Hines — who was recently traded to the Buffalo Bills — pointed out following the team’s Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans that the Colts’ lack of stability at quarterback has hindered them.

“Not an excuse, but every year we have a new quarterback,” Hines said, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. “So each year we have growing pains while we sit here [and] watch Tennessee, which has had Tannehill, what, my whole career? And each year we’re restarting and we have to turn the page.”

This is the first time in Jim Irsay’s 25 years of ownership that he’s fired a head coach midway through the season. It’s a sad decline for a franchise that was known as the cream of the crop when it comes to successful organizations.

During the Peyton Manning and Luck eras, the Colts made the playoffs 15 of 17 seasons in between 1999 and 2014. Since 2015, Indianapolis has made it to the playoffs just twice.

Reich isn’t a bad coach. In fact, he’s a pretty good coach that deserves credit for getting Wentz to play arguably the best football of his career last year. The former No. 1 overall draft pick threw 27 touchdowns versus just seven interceptions.

For all of Wentz’s faults — his lack of prompt decision making and his propensity to fumble the football — there was no reason for Indianapolis to move on from him for a 37-year-old quarterback with zero mobility and an arm that is simply done.

Indianapolis — meaning Irsay — made an impulsive decision to move on from him due to his meltdown in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 with a playoff berth on the line.

That means the Colts gave up a first and third-round draft selection to acquire Wentz, only to give up on him after one season. They then traded another third-round selection to acquire Ryan, only to give up on him after just seven games for a sixth-round draft selection who probably won’t serve as a permanent starting quarterback ever again.

That same impulsivity led to Irsay pushing for the Colts to rely on Ehlinger to spark a dreadful offense with a bad offensive line. Indianapolis has allowed 35 sacks — worst mark in the league — and have turned the ball over 17 times, tied for the worst mark in the NFL.

As noted by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Irsay was involved in the decision to start Ehlinger over Ryan.

“One other thing not to be ignored—owner Jim Irsay’s involvement in the decision,” said Breer regarding Ryan’s benching on Oct. 24. “Reich said that he and GM Chris Ballard met with Irsay on Sunday night to discuss it, and that the switch was made with the intention that Ehlinger remain the team’s starter for the rest of the season should not be ignored.”

Do you see what the problem is here?

Indianapolis didn’t disappoint this year due to Reich. They’ve been on this stark decline in recent years due to management. That responsibility falls on Irsay’s lap.

The Colts have developed into an impulsive organization. That’s been the biggest reason for their sad decline.