Why It’s Time for the Colts to Move On From Chris Ballard?
Examining Results, Direction, and the Need for Change.
After nearly a decade as general manager, Chris Ballard has little to show for his tenure in Indianapolis. Since being hired in 2017, the Colts have made two playoff appearances, one playoff victory, and ZERO division titles results that fall far short of expectations in a parity driven NFL.
Ballard’s biggest failure has been at quarterback. Since Andrew Luck’s retirement, the Colts cycled through short-term veterans like Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco, wasting seasons without a clear long-term plan. The delay in drafting a franchise quarterback set the organization back years.
While Anthony Richardson may still represent hope, he arrived years later than he should have, after multiple lost seasons spent chasing fixes instead of building.
His draft first, free-agency averse philosophy has also left the roster incomplete. Key needs have routinely gone unaddressed, resulting in teams that are competitive on paper but flawed on the field.
The 2025 collapse losing seven straight games after an 8–2 start was the clearest sign yet of a stagnant culture and lack of accountability. At some point, patience becomes complacency.
The Colts need results, not rhetoric. After nine seasons, it’s time for a new vision—and that means moving on from Chris Ballard. We recently witnessed the Minnesota Vikings parting ways with their former General Manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, after four seasons, despite having a commendable winning record of 43-25. In contrast, the Indianapolis Colts opted to retain their GM, who led the team to a 70-78-1 record, without securing any division titles or making significant playoff strides.