CBS Sports Ranks the Colts Shane Steichen as NFL’s 24th Best Head Coach Before 2023 Season

According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, new Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen is ranked as his 24th best head coach entering the 2023 season:

24. Shane Steichen (Colts)

Season: 1st with IND, 1st as HC

Career record: N/A | Playoffs: N/A

He’s got a potentially tall task on his hands, satisfying owner Jim Irsay while turning raw rookie QB Anthony Richardson into a comfortable NFL passer, and yet Steichen was calm, collected and strategically adaptable shepherding both Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, respectively.

Now, to be fair, most rookie head coaches are ranked towards the bottom of any list, as there just isn’t a track record or history of success as the head man to fall back upon. I wouldn’t take this as a slight on Steichen, as he should quickly ascend such a ranking.

Only 38 years old, Steichen is regarded as one of the bright young offensive minds in football. He helped coach and called plays for the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, who had one of the league’s best offenses last year.

He’s had prior success developing a pair of young quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts and Shane Steichen, and that should serve him well with the Colts, as one of his primary tasks will be ensuring the future growth and maturation of top rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Like Hurts, Richardson has dynamic dual-threat ability, so Steichen should be able to utilize his legs in the RPO game, play-action, and bootlegs.

The Colts liked Steichen so much as a candidate and wanted to poach him from the Eagles coaching staff enough, that Indianapolis even gave him a 6th-year in his new contract, indicating their strong long-term commitment—which is rare for a rookie NFL head coach.

Steichen should bring some similar offensive philosophies to former Indy head coach Frank Reich, both coming from the Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers (and with strong ties to Philly head coach Nick Sirianni). That being said, he should bring some much needed fire and accountability to a Colts locker room that was seemingly lacking it last season.

We’ll see if the Colts conviction in Steichen pays off in-time, but I would expect to see him climb up this head coach ranking—even with the short-term rebuilding Indianapolis roster.