Ex-NFL scout says Colts’ discipline issues wouldn’t fly under Bill Belichick

On Friday, NFL analyst John Middlekauff talked about the Indianapolis Colts' rumored disciplinary problems on the "3 and Out with John Middlekauff" podcast.

Citing that some showed up late to practices and meetings, Middlekauff said that the situation was a reflection of Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen.

"But if it’s like, yeah, it’s a consistent issue with the team, that’s a reflection of the head coach," Middlekauff said (36:54). "I can’t imagine people constantly showing up late to Belichick, to Andy Reid, to Pete Carroll, to Sean McVay, to Kyle Shanahan, to Sean Payton, to Nick Saban, to Kirby Smart. Like, it wouldn’t be tolerated because it’s not tolerated. Because that’s what bad teams do."

Although Steichen does not have the same resume or career as the legendary coaches named by Middlekauff, it is the responsibility of the coach to ensure that the locker room is prepared and following the directions of the organization.

It's hard to imagine legends like Bill Belichick or Andy Reid tolerating players consistently being late or not following the directions of the coaching staff and front office. Steichen will need to fix the off-field issues if the Colts want to have greater success on the field in 2025.

Indianapolis Colts 2025 outlook

The Indianapolis Colts need to take a positive step forward in the 2025 season. The team finished 8-9 last year, second place in the AFC South. However, the Colts did not qualify for the playoffs, despite many analysts predicting that they would before the season started.

Indianapolis has questions at quarterback after another disappointing season for Anthony Richardson. However, the team has an elite running back in Jonathan Taylor and a strong wide receiver room in Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. There will once again be high expectations for the Colts in 2025, something Steichen will need to be prepared for heading into the campaign.