The 2025 season marked the Indianapolis Colts' 73rd in the NFL, but it was overshadowed by the death of longtime owner Jim Irsay on May 21, 2025, with ownership passing to his three daughters, who honored him with uniform patches and a Ring of Honor induction. Under new starting quarterback Daniel Jones, who beat out Anthony Richardson, the Colts exploded out of the gate, winning their first season opener since 2013 with a 33-8 rout of the Dolphins and becoming the first team in NFL history to score on their first 10 possessions of the season. They raced to an 8-2 start (their best since 2009) and led the AFC South, but a catastrophic late-season collapse saw them lose seven straight games after their bye week, with Jones suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14. This historic meltdown made them the first team since the 2012 Chicago Bears to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs, and the first in NFL history to finish with a losing record (8-9) after an 8-2 start. Despite the disappointment, running back Jonathan Taylor set a franchise record by surpassing Edgerrin James for the most rushing touchdowns as a Colt (69), and the team also made history in Week 2 by winning on a game-ending 45-yard field goal set up by a rare leverage penalty, having not punted once in their first two games. The season was a tale of two extremes, showcasing a record-breaking offense early on but ultimately ending in a fifth consecutive playoff miss and consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1997-1998.