Why Colts Fired GM Chris Ballard Midway Through Season

The Indianapolis Colts have decided to fire general manager Chris Ballard midway through his 10th season with the team.

The Colts sit at 2-4 after Sunday's loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, a week after a road letdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So far, the Colts' four losses are all against AFC opponents, making it hard to compete for a playoff spot in a season that ownership has deemed to be of the utmost urgency.

While Ballard has been dismissed during the final year of his contract, head coach Shane Steichen is being retained for now.

The Colts are not only supposed to be hunting for the playoffs, but they're supposed to have a clear identity behind quarterback Daniel Jones, a strong run game with Jonathan Taylor, premier play on the offensive and defensive lines, a young and strong linebacker corps, and a cutting-edge secondary led by cornerback Sauce Gardner.

After six weeks, Jones has the second-most turnovers in the league and hasn't looked as good as hoped in between the poor plays, and Taylor has struggled to find consistency on the ground behind the offensive line. The defensive line is one of the biggest pushovers in the NFL, the linebacker corps is a revolving door, and the secondary is responsible for just one takeaway while Gardner is set to miss time with a calf strain for the second consecutive season. The Colts sent out two first-round draft picks and a wide receiver who they could really use right now (AD Mitchell) in exchange for Gardner.

In his decade at the helm, Ballard had a record of 72-82-1. His Colts teams only made the playoffs twice, in 2018 and 2020 (1-2 record), and they never won the AFC South division. Since the Colts last won the AFC South in 2014, the other three teams have all won it at least twice, even though all went through full rebuilds in the process.

Ballard has shown an apprehension about diving in with both feet to what was in the best interest of the team over the years, whether it was rebuilding or going all-in on a championship.

The quarterback position has also been a sore spot since the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019. Only twice since then have the Colts had the same quarterback start in Week 1 in consecutive seasons: Anthony Richardson Sr. in 2023 and 2024, and Jones in 2025 and 2026.

Speaking of Richardson, he is the face of Ballard's draft failures. The Colts made the young quarterback from the University of Florida the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he was already replaced as the starter by his third year.

Ballard's rosters have been fine, but never able to rise above average quarterback play, in part because players drafted to be stars have been anything but, as his tenure is riddled with first- and second-round draft misses.

For the remainder of the season, assistant general manager Ed Dodds will run the personnel department, while Steichen and the football staff will report directly to ownership.

Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement about the decision to fire Ballard:

“I am grateful to Chris for his years of service to the Colts and for everything he poured into this organization. He cared deeply about our team and our community, and we wish Chris and his family all the best.

“As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher. Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.

“Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now. We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization.

“I also want to be clear: this decision does not change our goals for the season. We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve, and win football games.”