According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, Initial speculation is that longtime Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s job is safebut under the different leadership of new team owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who has no history of decision-making, no one knows for sure now:
Graziano:
I was in Indianapolis on Sunday, and no one there seemed to know exactly where things were going after the Colts’ late-season collapse. From what I’ve heard, general manager Chris Ballard has a good relationship with owner Carly Irsay Gordon, and while Anthony Richardson Sr.’s draft didn’t appear to pan out, the Daniel Jones signing was a hit until he got injured. I think Ballard is here to stay, but he’s being asked about a lot these days.
Fowler:
Ballard remains a moving target because he drafts well and builds a good roster — but nine years without a division title is a tough sell. I’ve talked to some people around the league who wonder if Ballard will be the first to pass coach Sean Steichen if Irsay Gordon makes any changes. But the Colts were good for 10 games before the injury, so that’s a factor as well. Most people I talked to favored Ballard’s job being safe.
The interesting part of the analysis, though, is that two ESPN insiders appear to be gauging Ballard’s future based solely on the past year, and there’s no question that the Colts’ initial success (at one point going 8-2) was derailed by serious injuries, including starting quarterback Daniel Jones’ season-ending torn Achilles tendon.
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However, nine years into what was already considered a “make or break” season for the Colts general manager and Indy’s senior leadership, Indy once again failed to make the playoffs again.
The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, the COVID-19 season, which was the last time unretired 44-year-old veteran quarterback Philip Rivers started for them.
During Ballard’s entire long tenure, Indianapolis managed just one playoff win and 0 division titles. Since his arrival in 2017, every other member of the AFC South has won at least two division titles.
So while this year should be part of the consideration, there are 8 other years that form part of that assessment.
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It will be interesting to see if Irsay Gordon again exonerates Ballard, who appears to be well-respected personally within the Colts organization.
However, there are also plenty of Colts fans who believe he’s been given enough chances to turn things around, but the end result just wasn’t good enough.
As for Colts head coach Shane Steichen, his job is arguably at least slightly more secure than Ballard’s, and if Indianapolis plans to also re-sign Daniel Jones (*a pending 2026 free agent), his return would make sense — especially given the initial success the two had together to start the season.
Even coming off a torn Achilles, Jones appears to be the Colts’ best option as their starting quarterback in 2026, at least given this year’s upcoming offseason market (and Indy’s lack of a ’26 first-round pick).
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These two are likely to be a “package deal” for Indianapolis going forward, but time will tell in the offseason.
