All things considered, it feels like there should be no possible way Chris Ballard makes it to the end of the 2025 season. In nine years, he has two playoff appearances, one playoff win, and zero divisional titles to his name. All of that may be history, but Ballard’s biggest hurdle yet has to be the current state of the Indianapolis Colts. There is no franchise quarterback on the roster. After searching for almost his entire tenure, the Colts still find themselves with no answer at the game’s most important position. The benching of Anthony Richardson could prove to be the nail in the coffin.
Ballard has been looking for the man to take over for Andrew Luck since 2019. Yes, it was a tough hand to be dealt, but the grace period for that unfortunate moment has passed. The amount of miscalculations have bordered on painfully comical at this point. After working his way through the NFL retreads, Ballard finally used the draft to seriously address the position. Selecting Richardson was his defining moment. The physical freak with the perfect RAS was chosen to be the face of the franchise. A season worth of games later and his hand picked selection is riding the pine. Ok, maybe aluminum is more accurate here, but you get the idea. Richardson’s fall from grace was swift and serves as an egg on the face moment for Ballard and his team, as it shows a complete lack of ability to identify good quarterback play. Couple this with the lack of postseason success and a recipe for how not to build a team is the blueprint on the table.
Logically speaking, keeping a GM around with Ballard’s resume appears asinine on the surface, yet here we are. Ballard received an extension and has survived, unlike Frank Reich. He has been given the reins year in and year out. There has always been an odd sense of belief in his abilities by ownership and fans. Many are quick to give him a pass for Luck while others point out how well he drafts other positions and builds his rosters in a savvy manner. Savvy only applies when the formula works, and it hasn’t worked to date. There are zero positive results for a franchise that was accustomed to fighting for playoff positioning and securing division titles with relative ease. The bar is a high one, but it has been lowered in the last decade. Mediocrity has been accepted.
Well, mediocrity had been accepted. There is a new sheriff in town. Carlie Irsay-Gordon is not her father. Yes, she most likely shares a lot of his qualities, but just like Jim didn’t want to be like his dad, Irsay-Gordon is not set to be a carbon copy of hers. She may carry over the same feelings of loyalty, but then again, she might not. A NFL franchise can be an extension of family, but it is also a business at the end of the day. Ballard is not Irsay-Gordon’s GM. She didn’t hire him, and she didn’t extend him. It will be up to her to fire him though. Even if Daniel Jones impresses, Ballard should receive minimal praise for bringing him in against criticism for his swing and miss on Richardson. Will that be the case? Who knows. If Jones wins and wins big, Ballard might get another lifeline because winning cures a lot of ills. How much will Jones have to win to save Ballard? That is up to Irsay-Gordon to decide.
Once again, logically, the chances of Chris Ballard surviving this season appear to be slim. Add history to the downfall of Anthony Richardson and things aren’t looking good. Two things save him: Daniel Jones performing like a rock star and Carlie Irsay-Gordon not wanting to rock the boat in her first year. If the Colts win and Irsay-Gordon waits to get her feet under her with a full season before she starts making franchise altering decisions, Ballard might just make it to 2026. Watch the Colts struggle out of the gate, which is par for the course these days, and the Ballard luck might just dry up. There is nothing pleasurable about calling for the Colts to move on from Ballard. His success means success for the Colts which is what fans truly desire. It isn’t personal. It’s just business. Let’s see how the Colts and Irsay-Gordan handle theirs in 2025.
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