Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer
After ten years in the role, the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, Chris Ballard, was fired. According to CBS Sports, Ballard was the longest-serving general manager to have a losing record.
He served as director of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 before joining the Colts. In 2014, he was promoted to director of football operations. He was one of the staff behind hiring star players such as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
In 2016, he began working as the general manager for the Indianapolis Colts. The former owner of the Colts said that “Chris is the best candidate for general manager that has come about so far in the 21st century.”
In his first year, the Colts had a losing record — meaning that they had more losses than wins during the season. Their 2018 season was much better. They ended with a 10-6 record, and two of Ballard’s draft choices (Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard) were named AP All-Pro First Team. Rookies being named had not happened since 1965. Due to this achievement, Ballard was named the NFL Executive of the Year by Pro Football Writers of America.
Some believe that Ballard’s biggest issue was finding a strong quarterback for the team. During his first year as general manager, their quarterback Andrew Luck suddenly retired. Ballard struggled for his remaining ten years to find a strong replacement. Ballard signed Daniel Jones last year, who led them to an 8-2 record. However, after an injury, he has been struggling this season, with nine turnovers already.
In 2021, Ballard signed a 5-year contract with the Colts; however, he would be fired before his contract could expire. The 2026 season has been a disappointment for Colts fans. They stand with a 2-4 record. The breaking point was on October 18th, when the Tennessee Titans won 26-20. The Titans were winless before this game.
Coach Shane Steichen came to Ballard’s defense, saying that the team’s loss doesn’t fall “completely on Chris. I’m the head football coach. It takes all of us. Coaches, scouts, everybody.” Steichen coached beside Ballard for three years. Steichen was also the one to make the call not to bench Jones for his poor performance. It is believed the only reason Steichen wasn’t fired with Ballard was that there isn’t a replacement ready.
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon made a statement that she was grateful for his years of service, but that their “ standard is to compete for championships,” and that “a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.”
Irsay-Gordon is ready to continue to make changes to the team, and hopefully get them back on track. She expects the team “to compete, improve, and win football games.” Fans of the team will wonder if Irsay-Gordon will continue modifying the team, trading more coaches and players. The deadline for trading players is approaching on November 10th.
He leaves the Colts with a 72-82-1 record and has not made the playoffs in five years. Chris Ballard has not made a comment about his firing.
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