According to multiple reports, Chris Ballard of the Kansas City Chiefs is the leading candidate for the vacant general manager job with the Indianapolis Colts. However, if he does end up coming aboard to guide owner Jim Irsay’s ship, then don’t be surprised if head coach Chuck Pagano ends up looking for another job.
Friday night, Steven Albritton of KMBC reported Ballard is the team’s “clear favorite” to become the next general manager but that he wants to change the head coach.
Really, this shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who has followed the Colts the past five years. Since 2012, when both Ryan Grigson and Pagano took over at the GM and head coaching spots, the Colts have seen a steady decline in the production and depth of their roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Any general manager coming into this situation would likely start from scratch with “their guy” as the head coach, rather than taking on the burden of continuing to work with one half of a failed experiment.
After two 8-8 seasons, despite possessing one of the NFL’s most talented young quarterbacks, Irsay really should be open to listening to what outsiders have to say. Especially if said outsider becomes the next insider in charge of personnel decisions. And especially if he wants to see his team get back to winning on a consistent basis.