One of the longest-tenured general managers in football has been let go.
The Indianapolis Colts fired Chris Ballard after a 10-season run that began in 2017, the team announced Monday morning.
The final straw was ultimately a home loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday, where the Colts surrendered 20 fourth-quarter points in a 26-20 defeat.
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who has drawn attention for her note-taking on the sideline during games, explained the reasoning behind her decision in a statement.
“As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher,” she said. “Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.
“Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now. We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization.
“I also want to be clear: this decision does not change our goals for the season. We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve, and win football games.”
Over Ballard’s tenure, the Colts went 72-82-1 with two postseason appearances and one playoff win back in 2018. Indianapolis cycled through three full-time head coaches in the era, starting with Chuck Pagano in 2017, Frank Reich from 2018 to 2022 (with Jeff Saturday as the interim in 2022) and Shane Steichen since 2023.
The past 10 seasons for Indy have featured constant turnover at quarterback, with 15 different players starting games under Ballard. Andrew Luck was injured for Ballard’s entire first season, which led to Jacoby Brissett and Scott Tolzein starting. Luck returned for 2018 before unexpectedly retiring just before the 2019 season began.
Ballard was never able to solve the position when Luck abruptly walked away in his prime. Brissett (2019), Philip Rivers (2020), Carson Wentz (2021), Matt Ryan (2022), Anthony Richardson (2023 and 2024) and Daniel Jones (2025 and 2026) have started on opening day since then.
Last season, the Colts appeared to be turning the corner with Jones having a career year as the team started 7-1. That prompted to Ballard to make a bold trade for former New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, giving up two first-round picks (2026 and 2027). Things quickly unraveled, though — Jones eventually tore his Achilles and Indy lost seven straight to end the season at 8-9.
Ballard rewarded Jones with a two-year, $88 million extension in March, but he hasn’t looked like the same player from before the injury. Without their first-round pick this season, Indy has no incentive to lose games the rest of the way.
The Colts are two games behind in the AFC South heading into Week 7. Up next is a road game at the undefeated Minnesota Vikings before visiting the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8.
0 Comments