The Indianapolis Colts were once the top team in the AFC in the early stages of the 2025 NFL season. Now, the team is fighting just for a chance to get into the playoff race.
The Colts have dropped five of their last six games, including four in a row, while navigating quarterback injuries. Daniel Jones went down with a torn Achilles in Week 14, which prompted the team to sign 44-year-old Philip Rivers to play in the NFL for the first time since 2020.
Rivers performed admirably in an 18-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but the Colts as a whole will need to be a bit better in Week 16 to beat the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers are sitting at 10-4 entering their ‘Monday Night Football’ game against the Colts. They aren’t presently atop the top-heavy NFC West, but they appear to be safely inside the NFC playoff picture with three games remaining in the 2025 NFL season.
Here’s what to know about the ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup in Week 16.
Who plays on Monday Night Football tonight?
Matchup: Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
The Colts are hosting the 49ers on ‘Monday Night Football’ to close Week 16. Both Indianapolis and San Francisco will be looking to earn victories to bolster their playoff chances during the 2025 NFL season’s stretch run.
What time does the Colts vs. 49ers MNF game start?
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
How to watch Monday Night Football tonight
TV Channel: ESPN | ABC
Live stream: ESPN+ | NFL+
ESPN2 will also host an alternate broadcast called ‘MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats’ as part of ESPN’s coverage of the event.
Watch ‘Monday Night Football’ on ESPN+
Monday Night Football preview
The Colts will be hoping an extra week of practice helps Rivers as he continues to develop chemistry with his pass-catching weapons. They will also continue to tailor the offense to the 44-year-old, who no longer has the requisite arm strength needed to push the ball down the field consistently.
As such, the Colts will rely heavily on Jonathan Taylor and the team’s rushing offense to lead it against the 49ers. That won’t necessarily be an easy matchup, as the 49ers are allowing just the 12th-most rushing yards per game league-wide (106.1) while Indianapolis will be missing left tackle Bernhard Raimann due to an elbow injury.
Meanwhile, the Colts’ defense is banged-up at cornerback, as neither Sauce Gardner nor Charvarius Ward will suit up on Monday. That will give Brock Purdy plenty of time to find Jauan Jennings open, though the absence of Ricky Pearsall will remove a down-the-field weapon from San Francisco’s passing attack.
Still, Jennings shouldn’t have an issue finding space in which to operate, especially as George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey draw the attention of Indianapolis’ defense.
All told, the Colts just have too many injuries to trust against a 49ers squad that has been steady as ever this season. Indianapolis will be playing with desperation, but that may not be enough to give the team a win over San Francisco in Week 16.