The Colts finally did it. I think by now, anyone clicking on this article doesn’t need a full autopsy of the Chris Ballard era. I intentionally wait to do these long form pieces, because I like to take the emotion out of my analysis. However, when it comes to the end Chris Ballard era, there isn’t much analysis needed.
It was time, and anyone who followed the team realized it. You didn’t have to listen closely to hear the “Fire Ballard!” chants echoing throughout Lucas Oil Stadium during the team’s
annual humiliating loss, this time to the winless Titans.
While it was obvious, that this was going to be an end of the Chris Ballard era, one thing is certain:
This is one of the most complex and nuanced tenures of any GM in NFL history.
The reality is that there were numerous exits the Colts could have taken. 2021, certainly 2022, and 2024 all come to mind. Like a cat, Chris Ballard had 9 lives.
If it wasn’t the epic choke in 2021 that caused the Colts to miss the playoffs, it had to be the year an ESPN analyst took over as head coach in one of the most embarrassing seasons in franchise history. After all that turmoil, surely he wouldn’t survive a season in which his handpicked quarterback tapped out of a game and was benched, while a team captain handed opponents free bulletin board material on his podcast, only for the Giants to whoop the Colts with a backup quarterback and end their season… Right?
Wrong.
Because the Chris Ballard tenure was never assessed on paper. He endured one of most shocking retirements in NFL history, which we all know by now. But also judging from some of the reporting, the health of late owner Jim Irsay played a role in his retention. It was more than the mediocre seasons and rosters with holes that the fanbase could identify in August. The Colts were loyal to him for as long as they possibly could be.
That’s the gist of the story every Colts fan knows by now, perhaps all too well.
But now that Chris Ballard has been fired, the Colts are closing a significant chapter in their franchise’s history and are grabbing the pen to start writing the next one.
The funny part is that some people have already written it for them.
There’s a narrative that the Colts are hosting a firesale, similar to what the Miami Dolphins did after firing Chris Grier around this time last year. Mock trades are flooding your social media feeds, with teams hoping to compete for a Lombardi Trophy raiding the Colts’ roster for just about every talented player they have.
However, this is nothing like the 2025 Miami Dolphins.
WHERE DO THE COLTS GO FROM HERE?
This is may sound crazy to a portion of an understandably livid fanbase, but the first order of business has to be continuing to compete this year. And it’s a real possibility that they do.
In the NFL, it’s fairly easy to see when teams are waving the white flag. You can see it in the press conferences and you can see it on the sidelines on Sundays. It’s pretty obvious.
Typically, a coach is then fired.
But the Colts didn’t fire a coach, they fired their GM. Carlie Irsay-Gordon is sending a message to everyone in that building that it’s time to wake up.
Shane Steichen, Lou Anarumo, Daniel Jones, and the rest of the roster.. If they didn’t realize it already, they certainly realize it now. Everyone is playing and coaching for their jobs.
The Colts can use this as an opportunity to roll over like they always have, or they can jumpstart their season and continue to keep fighting.
The good news about having an owner that’s intimately involved with the organization? She gets a front row seat to see who quits on this team. Those are the people you can guarantee won’t be here next year.
Maybe the roster was so poorly constructed that they’ll never be able to compete this season, but watch them this Sunday. I bet they show you some fight.
2026 FIRESALE?
Circling back to the aforementioned firesale that everyone is convinced is about to occur.
Ed Dodds, and certainly Carlie Irsay-Gordon, are going to do their due diligence to move some of the players that were never going to be apart of the team’s future this year.
I think we can conclude that DeForest Buckner will eventually be one of those people. He’s on the last year of an expiring deal, is 32 years old, and wants to win. It’s about as natural a parting of ways as you’ll find in the NFL. He knows it, we know it, and 31 other teams know it. It would shock me to see him on the roster come mid-November.
But everyone else? I’m not so sure.
Like I said, the Colts are trying to win still. If they upset the undefeated Vikings, don’t things look a lot different? A win can do so much for a team in the NFL.
Now I think we can be realistic to say that is still pretty unlikely. The Colts’ roster has plenty of flaws, as we’ve discussed all season, but that doesn’t mean the team should start trading away its best players.
They would be wise to hold on to anyone who could still have a future with the franchise. That includes Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson and Josh Downs.
Is there a price for everyone? Of course. A massive overpay could completely change the equation. Just look at the Jets last year.
But ask yourself this: Why would the Colts want to part ways with players that a potential new GM might view as building blocks for the future?
You owe that the new GM to make that decision for himself.
IS THIS AN ATTRACTIVE JOB?
If you had asked me this question in January, I would have said no. Without a first-round pick and with an unsettled QB situation, I assumed they might be in stuck until they paid off the debts of the Sauce Gardner trade.
But I underestimated one thing: The owner.
I think Carlie Irsay-Gordon is a massive reason to take the job. Why? Because she’s deeply committed to process over results. She’s deeply invested in the team. And she’s willing to do what it takes to win.
Also if you’re a GM taking over this job, are the standards
If you zoom out to when she took over last year, it’s been quite the ride. The Colts were one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and while I did not agree with the move, she let Chris Ballard mortgage their future at the deadline to try and win. And then when things didn’t work out, she gave him a second chance.
That goes a long way.
Despite having quality ownership in your corner, it’s undeniable that the resources the Colts have to work with are probably not going to earn them the top job on the market this offseason. They don’t have the ammo to get a blue-chip prospect and they don’t have a QB that will entice many candidates to want to build a team around.
That being said, while the roster might have some flaws, it can get better in a hurry.
THE COLTS PATH MOVING FORWARD
I’m positive that the Colts are going to get differing opinions in GM interviews about the state of the roster. Some people are going to love the young talent that’s on the roster and want to build around it. Others will look at an aging core that hasn’t accomplished anything and see an opportunity to sell high on its veterans and want to get younger quickly.
Both give me a sense for optimism. While I don’t have a crystal ball, I really believe things can get better in Indianapolis quickly.
Things in the NFL change fast and all it takes is one good offseason to completely change the trajectory of your team. Look at the 2024 Eagles who added Saquon Barkley and reinvented their secondary in the first two rounds of the draft. Look at the 2025 Seahawks who completely tore down their offense to the studs and built it all the way back up.
The past guarantees nothing for the Colts moving forward, but it does offer something that fans are desperate for. Hope.
Let’s examine both paths:
PATH #1: A RE-TOOLING
The first path is the new GM wanting to build on the foundation that Ballard and Steichen have already set. epending on how the Colts finish the season, Steichen could even be retained under this scenario.
Indianapolis has had talent on its roster for years, but an unsettled quarterback situation and an inability to strike the right balance between drafting well and supplementing the roster through free agency have consistently held the team back.
A new GM could continue building the defense through the draft while using the Colts’ projected $67 million in 2027 cap space to add the finishing touches to the roster.
The Colts would also get Alec Pierce back, which could be transformational for the offense. Combine his return with the young core already in place and a few key veteran additions (perhaps at wide receiver) and Indianapolis could find itself right back in the mix.
The Colts will have a big decision to make at Quarterback in either route the new GM will take. Will he decline to take the dead money on Daniel Jones’ contract and give him another year removed from his achilles injury to find his groove again under Steichen? Doesn’t sound appealing to anyone reading, but certainly an option.
Could the Colts use any DeForest Buckner ammunition to take a QB in the 2nd round and have a Wentz/Hurts situation? Definitely could.
Quarterback will remain the biggest question mark, but I still believe the 2026 season has become about more than Jones, even if he contributed to many of the team’s early struggles. With the proper supporting cast and structure around him, I think he can still return to form.
PATH #2: THE REBUILD
There will be candidates who look at this roster and want nothing to do with it. They may not want to pay a guard market-setting money, build an offense around a running back entering his third contract with plenty of carries under his belt, or commit to young players whose evaluations don’t align with theirs.
Would that lead to a Miami Dolphins-type season? I still say no.
People seem to forget how much dead money Miami had to incur when moving on from Tua Tagovailoa. His massive contract forced the Dolphins into significant rebuild. The Colts don’t have that same problem.
If a new GM wanted to trade Jonathan Taylor and collect comp picks by letting players like Quenton Nelson and Josh Downs walk in free agency, those options would be available. Would that improve Indianapolis’ chances of competing in 2027? Absolutely not. But even in that scenario, the Colts wouldn’t be facing the same uphill battle Miami did. They have more financial flexibility, more young talent to build around and more flexibility in how they want to reshape the roster.
A new GM could bring in his own players to fit what would likely be a new head coach’s scheme while still building a solid foundation for the future, with an eye toward 2028.
The quarterback situation in this scenario could get complicated. The Colts could release Daniel Jones and absorb the dead money, but I also wonder whether another team would be willing to trade for him.
The league has generally been higher on Jones than the public has. Tom Pelissero floated the possibility on The Ringer Show, and the more I’ve thought about it, the more I believe it’s a possibility. Minnesota and Kevin O’Connell have valued Jones in the past, and the Vikings aren’t necessarily tied to Kyler Murray long-term. Their offense has also struggled at times this season, despite the team’s record. A trade isn’t impossible to imagine.
Moving Jones would give the Colts an opportunity to reset at quarterback while allowing a new regime to build around a fresh roster, one that might look different but wouldn’t necessarily be less talented.
Ultimately, it’s hard to envision Carlie Irsay-Gordon signing off on the kind of full-scale rebuild that fans and national media have suggested. She wants to win, not endure on a lengthy rebuilding process. And there’s little reason to believe Indianapolis needs to tear everything down to build a successful team.
BOTTOM LINE
The Colts have plenty of questions to answer over the next 365 days. Some will be tougher than others, and the answers will likely vary depending on which candidate you ask.
But I think a lot of possibilities remain on the table, and that’s an exciting thing for this franchise. Despite what the popular narrative that exists, the Colts aren’t backed into a corner.
I’ve laid out two big-picture paths the new GM could take, but the reality will likely fall somewhere in between, blending elements of both approaches.
For the first time in a decade, Indianapolis is on the verge of a fresh start. The organization finally has a chance to ascend instead of desperately clinging to a league-average roster and selling fans on the promise of something more.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon means business, and she just proved it to the entire NFL.
