After a red-hot start to the season, the Indianapolis Colts saw injuries and playing against better competition take a toll, and the team will miss the playoffs again. Indy knew this before the Week 17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and that is important to remember.
The team could have handled the final two ultimately meaningless regular season games as if they were preseason games. No matter if Indy won or lost would make no difference, but the team could learn even more about some players who might still be trying to prove they belong on the 2026 roster.