ESPN highlights potential rough start to 2026 season for Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have what could be a very challenging start to the 2026 NFL season. The Colts will begin the 2026 season by hosting Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens , followed by a highly anticipated matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. The Colts' next three opponents will then be the Texans and their disruptive defense, the Commanders in London, followed by a road game against the Steelers, creating a potential gauntlet to start the year.

Indianapolis will be on the road three times throughout the first five weeks of the season as well. ESPN Colts' insider Stephen Holder recently shared his thoughts on this potentially grueling stretch. As Holder claims, Indianapolis could be looking at a 0-3 start with a difficult stretch to begin the new season.

“Look for September to be a rough month for the Colts," he wrote. “The combination of Jones' return from injury and the difficult opening schedule raises the prospect of an 0-3 start for Indy, even though the Colts were an offensive juggernaut when at full strength last season. Indianapolis faces a presumably healthy Lamar Jackson , Patrick Mahomes and the vaunted Houston defense in its three September games.

” Holder’s prediction would ultimately be a major disappointment to begin the year for Colts’ fans should it hold true. In what is presumably a now-or-never season for this iteration of the Colts, a slow start and having to play catch-up is not going to be a recipe for success for a team that desperately needs to make the playoffs. This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: When will the Colts face their toughest stretch of the season in 2026?