Colts Fire Ballard: GM Out After Titans Loss

The colts fire ballard era has come to an end. The Indianapolis Colts dismissed general manager Chris Ballard on Monday, one day after a 26-20 home loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans dropped the franchise to 2-4.

Ballard, 57, had run the Colts’ football operations since January 2017. His decade-long tenure produced just two playoff appearances — in 2018 and 2020 — and a 72-82-1 record, with a single postseason victory: a wild-card win over Houston in January 2019.

Irsay-Gordon: ‘A Change in Leadership Is Necessary’

Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon announced the move in a statement, saying the franchise’s standard is to compete for championships and that new leadership is needed to meet it. She thanked Ballard for his service to the team and the community, saying he cared deeply about both.

“As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher,” her statement read. She called the in-season timing deliberate, saying waiting would only delay the work that needs to begin now, and promised a thorough search for Ballard’s successor. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will run the personnel department for the rest of the season; no interim general manager title was announced.

Steichen Stays — For Now

Head coach Shane Steichen, hired by Ballard before the 2023 season, remains in charge, though the owner’s patience with the coaching staff looks increasingly thin. Indianapolis has dropped two straight and sits two games behind the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars heading into Week 7.

The Titans, who trailed 13-0 at halftime, rallied for the win and snapped an 11-game losing streak against division opponents. For Ballard, a season that opened with a mandate to improve ended with the harshest verdict of all.

Source: NBC Sports