It is our belief that Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen deserves far more consideration for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award than he is currently receiving.

According to BetMGM, he was ranked fourth among potential candidates this week with +700 odds, trailing Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell (+325), Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans (+325), and Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (+325).

But has any of these coaches truly accomplished as much as Steichen has in elevating his team during what could have been a disastrous season?

Consider the obstacles the Colts have faced to achieve their improbable 8-6 record.

Coming off a dismal 4-12 season and a complete coaching staff overhaul, the offseason was overshadowed by team owner Jim Irsay’s public dispute with running back Jonathan Taylor over a new contract. This distraction took away from the excitement of a new regime and caused tension with the franchise’s best player.

The 2023 season started with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson showing promise but then landing on injured reserve for the season. Taylor also missed a significant portion of the year due to his contract dispute, and the team made a surprising move by releasing longtime defensive stalwart Shaq Leonard. Starting defensive tackle Grover Stewart also missed six games due to a PED suspension.

With all these challenges, and considering the team was already struggling prior to the injuries and controversies, it should have been a frustrating transitional year for Indianapolis. The expectation would have been to see Gardner Minshew leading an uncertain offense with a mediocre defense trying to make progress to survive in a tough AFC.

However, Steichen has turned the Colts into strong AFC playoff contenders. The team is performing as well as it did during the Andrew Luck years on both offense and defense, and the future looks even brighter for 2024 and beyond as Richardson gets healthy and the team continues to strengthen its roster through free agency and the draft.

The future has transitioned from bleak to promising, and much of the credit goes to Steichen’s work on the sidelines. The team’s dominant 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday felt like a clear testament to Steichen’s tenure.

If he doesn’t win NFL Coach of the Year, he should at least be a serious contender. He has turned what could have been a disaster into an unexpected success for Colts fans. The trajectory in Indianapolis is upward, and Steichen deserves ample recognition for his first-year accomplishments.