5 Great Candidates for Colts' GM Opening

The Indianapolis Colts have parted ways with general manager Chris Ballard following a 26-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Ballard finished with a career record of 72-82-1 with the Colts and made the playoffs just twice in his 10 seasons. 

This is obviously a major shake-up for an organization that desperately needed it, and the team will have a chance to get work done in advance on a potential replacement for the long-time general manager.

This list is subject to change in the coming weeks and months, but here are five of my personal favorite candidates for the Colts’ job once the offseason starts in January.

Ahmad is a candidate who is more than ready to take the next step into the general manager role. He began his executive career with Rutgers back in 2008 and even ran their recruiting operations before making the jump to the NFL. He started as a scouting assistant with the 49ers during the Jim Harbaugh era in 2014 and slowly climbed through the ranks. 

He was promoted to Director of College Scouting in 2021 and moved up again to Director of Player Personnel in 2023. He has spent time out on the road as a scout but has expanded his role in the pro department as well in recent years. He’s known for his attention to detail and his overall control of a room, something the Colts could desperately use in their next general manager. 

The Browns part of his title might scare people off, but the team has drafted exceptionally well in recent seasons despite lackluster results on the field. Cook began his scouting career with the Colts back in 2011 as a scouting assistant. He then moved through a variety of roles with different teams, serving as a Pro Scout for the Green Bay Packers (2013-2015) before joining Andrew Berry in Cleveland. 

Cook has experience in pro scouting, college scouting, and player acquisition, and he should already have some sort of relationship with Carlie Irsay-Gordon from the two years he spent in Indy. He is a candidate that is certainly ready for the jump, and the Browns’ recent drafting success could make his next stop a successful one. 

Greenberg is a bit different from the other executives on this list, as he has spent more time on player personnel, cap control, and contract negotiation than on the scouting side of the job. While his roles have expanded in recent years, he is often credited as being one of the pivotal forces behind how the Buccaneers have navigated several challenging offseasons and even negotiated the Tom Brady contract to bring him to Tampa Bay. 

Greenberg would need a strong scouting staff built around him, but he is an experienced executive who knows the business of running an NFL club. He’s already served as a Director of Football Administration for eight years in the league (2013-2020), so he’s prepared for the rigors of the job. Factor in the recent success of Tampa Bay front office members around the league, and Greenberg should be a top candidate this January. 

Liipfert was a hot name last hiring cycle, finishing second in the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager search. He built up the early part of his career as a scout for the New England Patriots before following his colleague Nick Caserio to the Texans. With the Texans, he has been a vital part of their scouting process, serving as a Director of College Scouting from 2018 to 2022 before moving further up the ranks. 

The Texans’ college scouting is arguably the best in the NFL, and the Colts desperately need a general manager who can actually draft with their next hire. Just outside of the first round alone, the Texans have landed players like Jaylin Noel, Calen Bullock, Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, Nico Collins, and Jonathan Greenard during his time with the organization. NFL teams are built through the draft, and Liipfert is arguably the best candidate out there for it. 

McKay has spent the majority of his career with the Rams, joining the team in 2016. He worked his way up through the ranks, starting as a scouting assistant (2016) and earning roles on the pro personnel side as the assistant director (2019-2020) and eventually as the director (2021-2024). 

The Rams’ personnel page also says that McKay, with the Rams, “evaluates all 32 rosters prior to free agency, writes advance scouting reports for upcoming opponents and evaluates college players prior to the draft.” He’s a thorough and smart young candidate who falls right along the same lines as James Gladstone did before he was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a copycat league, so a candidate like McKay is sure to draw a lot of interest in January.