Ballard is gone after nine years
The Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday morning. The decision came one day after a 26-20 home loss to the Tennessee Titans, a team that had not won a game all season until it walked out of Indianapolis.
It was an ugly one. Tennessee trailed 13-0 at halftime and still found a way to win. The Titans are now 1-5. The Colts are 2-4 and have dropped two straight.
Ballard, 57, took the job in January 2017 and signed a five-year extension in 2021. His tenure produced two playoff appearances, in 2018 and 2020, and nothing since.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
What ownership said
Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said “a change in leadership is necessary” if the franchise wants to compete for championships. The team will run a search for a new general manager, and she made clear the move does not change the club’s goals for this season.
Head coach Shane Steichen is the open question. Ballard hired him before the 2023 season, and Steichen is 27-30 in that time. He stays for now, but he will be working for a new boss soon enough.
The division is still in reach
Indianapolis is not buried. The Colts and the Houston Texans sit two games behind the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 4-2 heading into Week 7. A bad division is the only reason this firing does not feel like a funeral.
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