2023 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2023 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 71st season in the National Football League, their 40th in Indianapolis, and their 16th playing their home games at Lucas Oil Stadium. It was also their seventh under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard and the first under new head coach Shane Steichen. Despite low expectations, the Colts improved on their 4–12–1 record from the previous season after a Week 10 victory over the [2023 2023 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots season|New England Patriots] in Frankfurt, and more than doubled their wins from the previous year, finishing with a 9–8 record. They were eliminated from playoff contention in the final week of the season for the second time in three seasons after a loss to the [2023 2023 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans season|Houston Texans], extending their AFC South title drought to nine years.
Draft
| Position | Player | College |
| LB | Liam Anderson | Holy Cross |
| WR | Kody Case | Illinois |
| WR | Cody Chrest | Sam Houston |
| CB | Cole Coleman | Elon |
| G | Emil Ekiyor Jr. | Alabama |
| RB | Zavier Scott | Maine |
| S | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State |
| QB | Kyle Vantrease | Georgia Southern |
| DT | Jamal Woods | Illinois |
'''Draft trades'''
Preseason
The Colts opened their 2023 preseason with a 23–19 loss to the Buffalo Bills on August 12, 2023. Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, started the game, completing seven of his 12 passes for 67 yards while being intercepted once. He was also credited with two carries for seven yards. Three days later, Richardson was named the team's starter for the regular season by first-year head coach Shane Steichen.| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | at Buffalo Bills | L 19–23 | 0–1 | Highmark Stadium | ||
| 2 | Chicago Bears | W 24–17 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | ||
| 3 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 27–13 | 2–1 | Lincoln Financial Field |
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
With the loss, the Colts started their season at 0–1. The Colts failed to win in Week 1 for the 10th straight season.Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens
With the upset victory over the Ravens, the Colts picked up their second win of the season, improving to 2–1. By successfully kicking four field goals of a distance of 50 yards or greater in a single game, Matt Gay became the first kicker in NFL history to accomplish the feat.Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Despite the Colts' comeback from 23 points down to force overtime, it was not enough, as they lost to the Rams 29–23. With the loss, the Colts evened their record at 2–2.Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans
Quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending AC joint injury in this game. However, the Colts were still able to pull out a victory.Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Colts had their ninth consecutive loss in Jacksonville.Week 10: at New England Patriots
NFL Germany gamesThe Colts beat the Patriots on the road for the first time since 2006.