Going beyond who the Indianapolis Colts face on a weekly basis, how the NFL schedule falls can also dictate how challenging the upcoming season might be.
Now that we know what the Colts’ exact 2026 schedule looks like, let’s highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly from it.
The good from the Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL schedule
Colts finish at home: The Colts close out the regular season with two of their final three games taking place at home. Perhaps if Indianapolis finds themselves in some must-win situations — which has been the case the last few years — being at Lucas Oil Stadium will help.
Two prime-time games: After having only one prime-time game last season, the Colts got a second in 2026. They face the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in Week 2 and the Texans on Thursday Night Football in Week 11.
Only 4 playoff teams from 2025 on the schedule: Overall, the Colts’ strength of schedule is one of the easier ones on paper. In part, that’s due to them facing only four 2025 playoff teams — among the fewest in the NFL. From Weeks 6 through 10, the Colts face only one playoff team from last season. Perhaps an opportunity to bank some wins midseason.
The bad from the Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL schedule
A tough stretch to start the season: A fast start feels like a must for the Colts this year. They will need to be at their best right away in order to earn some early-season victories. The Colts’ first three games of the season are against Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston. They then travel to London for a Week 4 game with Washington, and are back on the road in Week 5 facing Pittsburgh. A slow start, and the Colts could spend the rest of the season playing catch-up.
The ugly from the Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL schedule
A late-season bye week: In a perfect world, the bye week would fall somewhere in the middle, splitting the season in half. That didn’t happen for the Colts, however. Choosing to turn down the post-London trip bye in Week 5, it instead landed in Week 13 — the second-to-last possible week for a bye to occur. That means the Colts will have to play 12 consecutive games to open the season. The opportunity to get healthy if needed or hit the pause button if things aren’t going well won’t really exist for a large portion of the season.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL schedule: Good, bad and ugly for Colts
