Chris

Ballard

The team announced its decision to move on from Ballard early Monday morning. The Colts opted to retain Ballard for a 10th season earlier this offseason despite a monumental collapse in the second half of last season that saw the team finish 8-9 after getting off to an 8-2 start. Ballard was hired as the Colts GM in 2017 and leaves with just two postseason berths and zero division titles to his name. The abrupt retirement of Andrew Luck before the start of the 2018 season presented an early challenge for Ballard to suddenly find a new QB, which often resulted in short-term answers to solve a long-term problem. After the likes of Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, and Carson Wentz passed through the organization, the Colts finally selected Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft in hopes of landing their guy. When it became apparent Richardson wasn’t the answer, the team signed Daniel Jones, who turned in a solid 2025 campaign and was rewarded with a two-year, $88 million contract earlier this offseason. Among the multiple missteps by Ballard during his Colts tenure is the trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner, whom he acquired in exchange for the team’s 2026 and 2027 first-round picks. Few GMs get the leash that Ballard was provided with by the Colts, but this felt like a move that was destined to happen now or at the end of the season. Now, the Colts can get a head start on their next GM search in what is shaping up to be another rough season. The team announced that head coach Shane Steichen will remain in his role for now.

After falling from 8-2 to out of the playoffs it’s a mild surprise that both will return. The Colts would probably be hardpressed to do better than Steichen as an offensive mind, so that part makes some sense even if he hasn’t made the playoffs yet. But Ballard’s trade for Sauce Gardner has left the franchise without a first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 and has almost forced them to look into retaining Daniel Jones off a torn Achilles. Ballard hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018. Principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will speak with the media tomorrow.

The Colts’ 2024 season was filled with mild highs and myriad lows but Steichen and Ballard will evidently get another shot at turning things around. Their futures beyond 2025 are likely tied directly to Anthony Richardson’s performance. Hopefully, the talented dual-threat quarterback can produce consistently positive results next year.

Good Degrassi reference, Chris. Unrevealed is whether or not the Colts actually like any of these quarterbacks enough to move up from No. 4 to No. 1 (or possibly to No. 3, assuming the Texans are taking a quarterback at No. 2), and which quarterback that would be if so. The Colts have taken on an aura of desperation over the past year, with Jim Irsay micromanaging the organization’s decisions, and it is well within reason that they’ll trade up to No. 1 to try to settle a position that has been rough sledding since Andrew Luck retired.

This news shouldn’t come as much of a shock, as Irsay was already on record in November saying he expects Ballard to be retained as general manager. His affinity for Saturday isn’t lost on anybody, but a full slate of coaching candidates is expected to be interviewed before the team decides on a new head coach for 2023. In his brief tenure with the team, Saturday has led the Colts to a 1-4 record and played a role in the Vikings setting an NFL record for the largest comeback in league history when they overcame a 36-0 halftime deficit to down the Colts 39-36 in Week 15. Saturday’s qualifications to coach at the NFL level came under fire when Irsay opted to hire him after letting go of Frank Reich after Week 9. More qualified coaching candidates are almost certain to pass through Irsay’s office this upcoming offseason, but whether or not they can move him off his love for Saturday is anybody’s guess.

Take it with a grain of salt, as just last week Irsay committed to both Ballard and coach Frank Reich, and then Reich was fired Monday following the Week 9 blowout loss to the Patriots. Ballard has drafted relatively well in his six years at the helm for the Colts, but he’s whiffed time and again in his pursuit of a quarterback ever since Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement. All in all, Ballard is probably a pretty solid GM, but he really needs to find an answer under center. And he needs to do it ASAP. Sam Ehlinger isn’t the solution.

This was, of course, before they acquired Matt Ryan. The Colts were on the periphery of the Deshaun Watson talks before the Texans shut them out, but perhaps Chris Ballard had his eye on a different young quarterback as well. The trade never materialized and the Colts instead pivoted to Ryan.

Ballard was hired in 2017 and Reich was hired as head coach the following season. Ballard has overseen several strong draft classes, and Reich has coached the Colts to a 28-20 record, including last season’s 11-5 playoff team. Ballard and Reich have shown an ability to quickly adapt at the quarterback position. In 2021 a new quarterback will be under center in Indianapolis for the fourth consecutive season, as Ballard continues to search for a long-term solution in the post-Andrew Luck era. Bringing in Carson Wentz this offseason was a bold move, and one that appears to have resonated with ownership.

He wasn’t interested in cleaning up the 49ers’ mess. Ballard has a strong relationship with GM John Dorsey and clearly doesn’t want to leave a great situation in Kansas City. The Chiefs won 12 games during the regular season, their most since 2003.

Ballard has been a hot general manager candidate in recent years, and he interviewed with the Titans for their top spot last January. He will likely draw interest from other teams as the carousel revs up to full speed.