The Indianapolis Colts received glowing praise in 2017 after hiring Chris Ballard as general manager. Seven years later, it appears the Colts might finally be on the verge of a front-office shakeup.
Ballard, formerly the director of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs (2015-’16), took over the Colts’ franchise after the team drafted quarterback Andrew Luck. However, Luck retired just a few years later leaving the Colts without a face of the franchise just before the 2019 season.
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Under Ballard and head coach Frank Reich, Indianapolis managed to win 11 games in 2020 and make the playoffs. It would be the club’s last playoff appearance under Ballard., with the roster deteriorating over the years and now on the verge of its second losing record in three years.
Indianapolis has also had little success under Ballard in the NFL Draft. In addition, despite ample cap space each offseason, the Colts general manager has routinely either used it to re-sign the players he drafted or carried it over into the next year. Now, change could be on the horizon.
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According to Mike Jones of The Athletic, many around the NFL believe that three to five teams will fire their general managers this offseason. Among people inside the league polled, Ballard and Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke were named as the likeliest to be fired.
Ballard has come under plenty of fire in recent years, both from the local media and fan base, for failing to build the Colts into a consistent contender. While team owner Jim Irsay has been very patient, with Ballard one of the longest-tenured general managers in the NFL, a change might finally be coming.
If Ballard is fired, the Colts’ job figures to be one of the most attractive vacancies this offseason. Indianapolis is projected to have $50 million in cap space and it already has a potential franchise-caliber quarterback in Anthony Richardson with young offensive weapons around him and a head coach many in the NFL are high on.
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