A change in leadership is underway for the Indianapolis Colts, as the franchise announced the firing of general manager Chris Ballard after 10 years in the role. His results over a decade at the helm were modest at best and more accurately described as frustrating and disappointing, given that he was the longest-tenured general manager in NFL history to have a losing record and one or fewer postseason wins. Time ran out following a string of moves that aged poorly and a run of on-field mediocrity.
Late owner Jim Irsay remained committed to Ballard until his death in May 2025, and Carlie Irsay-Gordon put pressure on Ballard upon her rise to leadership, detailing last offseason that the urgency to deliver results has never been higher. That shift in expectations, paired with untimely, poorly executed moves, was Ballard's downfall. From his role in coaching hires to trades that did not withstand the test of time, failures dotted Ballard's resume by the end of his tenure.
The inability to find a long-term answer at quarterback in the wake of Andrew Luck's retirement in 2019 was a prevalent issue across his lengthy run as general manager, too. Underwhelming draft picks did not help his cause, either. All of those decisions compounded on each other and largely explained why the Colts went just 72-82-1 under his reign and missed the playoffs each of the last five years.
Here are the costliest moves that contributed to Ballard's firing. Indianapolis needed a new coach after Chuck Pagano's firing in 2017. Ballard led the search process, identified New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as his primary target and held multiple interviews with him before selecting him as the man for the job at the end of his Super Bowl run.
The sides agreed verbally to terms on a contract, and the Colts announced McDaniel as their coach and scheduled an introductory press conference. But then McDaniel backed out. Ballard was left blindsided and found himself scrambling to find a new candidate while other teams filled their vacant coaching positions.
The Colts ultimately settled on Frank Reich, whose hiring panned out well given the circumstances. He accounted for both postseason appearances of the Ballard era and logged three winning seasons in four and a half years until his firing in 2022. But while Reich oversaw a period of success on the field, the wins always came with the context that he was not Ballard's first choice.
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