Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen says quarterback Daniel Jones will not be benched, even after a home loss Sunday to the previously winless Tennessee Titans that had fans at Lucas Oil Stadium booing their own team and chanting for general manager Chris Ballard’s firing.
Jones threw two interceptions in the loss, bringing his season total to six through six games. He has now thrown at least one interception in each of his last four outings.
“I think Daniel knows he’s got to play better,” Steichen said. “I got to coach better.”
Despite the struggles, Steichen confirmed Jones is staying under center for now. The bigger question hanging over the franchise is whether Steichen and Ballard will survive the season themselves.
The Colts have lost four of their six games this year, including two of three played at home. Sunday’s defeat to Tennessee was particularly galling given the Titans’ recent track record of personnel mismanagement — the franchise has cycled through quarterback busts Malik Willis and Will Levis and appears set to do the same with Cam Ward.
By the final whistle, boos from the home crowd had turned into chants calling for Ballard’s ouster. Steichen said he understood the reaction.
“We’ve got to give them something to cheer about, you know?” Steichen said. “I don’t blame them for booing one freaking bit.”
Owner Already Warned Them
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon made clear last season that patience for underperformance had run out. After Indianapolis closed 2025 with seven straight losses, she did not mince words.
“I’m pissed. We’re all pissed,” Irsay-Gordon said at the time. “We have been very clear with Chris and Shane that giving them another opportunity means that the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher. Chris and Shane are both capable of facing this challenge head-on and finding a way to achieve the results that our fans deserve, which is winning games, getting to the postseason and ultimately winning championships.”
Given that warning, a losing record, booing fans and chants against her own general manager put both Steichen and Ballard squarely on notice heading into the rest of the season.
Asked directly about his job security, Steichen kept his answer focused on the field.
“Obviously, my job is to get this team ready and that’s what I’m focused on right now,” Steichen said.
Tennessee Titans CEO has separately apologized to that franchise’s fanbase for its own dismal start to the season, saying “we’re sorry” — a sign of how low expectations have sunk for both teams this year.
