Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard Chris Ballard is sticking around. The Indianapolis Colts general manager was expected to be fired, but that wasn’t the case. Head coach Shane Steichen is also coming back for another season. A lot of Colts fans aren’t happy that owner Jim Irsay decided to retain Ballard. Can he find a way to redeem himself?
This season certainly wasn’t the worst in Colts history. But it sure wasn’t fun to watch either. Indianapolis posted an 8-9 record and finished second place in the AFC South behind the Houston Texans.
The Colts missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Speaking of making playoffs, Indy has only done that twice during Ballard’s eight-year tenure. They also haven’t won the AFC South once since he came to town. In addition, the Colts have posted a 62-69-1 record with him calling the shots.
It’s easy enough to see why fans wanted Ballard to be shown the door. Now he’ll look to make some of those fans a little happier if that’s even possible.
Can Colts GM Chris Ballard Redeem Himself…Sort of?
Ballard’s Tenure in Indianapolis
Without a doubt, the Chris Ballard era just hasn’t been good. You can’t sugarcoat it. One positive thing about his tenure, though, is that he has made several solid draft decisions.
Ballard selected Quenton Nelson back in 2018. He turned out to be one of the league’s top guards and will probably make the Hall of Fame one day.
Ballard has also drafted key contributors like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., Grover Stewart, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. And he impressively took Pro Bowl linebacker Zaire Franklin in the seventh round (2018 draft).
However, Ballard has failed to find a star quarterback and replace Andrew Luck. That’s one of the main reasons for the Colts’ struggles. Life is hard if you don’t have a franchise quarterback leading the way. Guys like Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan just weren’t the answers. Anthony Richardson, who Ballard drafted fourth overall in 2023, could eventually be that guy. But right now, he’s not looking like a future superstar.
What He Can Do To Redeem Himself…a Little Bit
Redeeming himself would be a difficult (probably impossible) feat for Chris Ballard. He’d have to completely change his philosophy. He has been known as “Bargain Bin Ballard” for his reluctance to spend money on outside free agents and make blockbuster trades.
If Richardson becomes the franchise quarterback he’s supposed to be, it could help fans change their mind about Ballard. Richardson has had an up-and-down career so far, but he has the potential to be an elite quarterback. He has to stay healthy and improve his accuracy issues, though.
Ballard must assemble a quality defense as well. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was recently fired. Ballard must replace him with someone who can get the unit back to respectability. Perhaps a guy like Robert Saleh is a good candidate. He was a great defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers.
Will Chris Ballard ever redeem himself? It’s doubtful, but we’ll see. He can if he puts together a Super Bowl-winning team. But we know that’s not going to happen.
Main Image: Maria Lysaker – USA Today Sports
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