1986 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1986 Indianapolis Colts season was the team’s 34th in the NFL and third in Indianapolis. They finished with a 3-13 record, last place in the AFC East, and did not qualify for the playoffs. Home games were played at the Hoosier Dome.
The season started with Rod Dowhower as head coach, but after an 0-13 start he was fired on December 1. Ron Meyer, who previously coached in New England, took over as interim head coach and guided the team to all three of their victories in 1986.
The Colts didn’t win until Week 14, defeating the Atlanta Falcons, and they ended the year with three wins overall. There was some talk that finishing 0-16 could help them get a franchise quarterback in the next draft. Vinny Testaverde of Miami was widely considered the top pick, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned the first overall selection with a 2-14 record and drafted Testaverde.
Three Colts players were selected for the Pro Bowl: center Ray Donaldson, tackle Chris Hinton, and punter Rohn Stark.
Looking back, the 1984-1986 era was the worst three-year stretch for the franchise since moving to Indianapolis, with a combined 12-36 record.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:33 (CET).