ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that change could be coming for the Colts organization, with the GM spot as the top possibility.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown,’ Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s job status appears safe headed into the 2025 campaign.
However, team owner Jim Irsay and his daughters could be contemplating a change in the front office regarding longtime general manager Chris Ballard—with assistant GM Ed Dodds a potential possibility to replace him:
“Shane Steichen,” noted Schefter on Sunday’s ESPN pre-game show. “The Indianapolis Colts’ coach. Again, another place where there’s tremendous disappointment in the way the season’s gone. They’re 7-9. They’ve been eliminated from the playoffs.”
“You know Jim Irsay (and) his daughters aren’t going to be happy about that. The feeling is right now (Steichen’s) going to be back in Indianapolis, but it does feel like there’s going to be change in that organization. People wondering whether it will involve the general manager Chris Ballard. If so, Ed Dodds is on staff. He’s close with the Irsay family. We will see what happens in Indianapolis there.”
Steichen’s job security appears in line with what we’ve heard from prior reports, where it appears the Colts ownership is poised to run it back with both him and 2nd-year starting quarterback Anthony Richardson for at least the 2025 campaign.
However, the change at general manager reiterates some of the prior “murmurs” out there regarding ongoing speculation that change atop their front office is possibly imminent.
During his 8 seasons at general manager (2017-24) in Indianapolis, Ballard has compiled a 61-69-1 record with just two playoff appearances, one playoff win, and no division titles.
Dodds, as Ballard’s ‘right-hand man’ since 2017, was recently named among the hottest general manager candidates headed into 2025 and beyond, and obviously, there’s a lot of familiarity and history already with him and the Irsay family.
That being said, if a change occurs, it’s a fair point of whether the Colts should simply clean house with this current front office regime almost entirely to ensure there’s completely fresh energy and perspective—with essentially no holdovers from Ballard’s current tenure.