Overview
- The Colts relieved Chris Ballard of his duties after a 2-4 start, a decision owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon announced Monday that she said was deliberate to begin rebuilding the front office now.
- Irsay-Gordon said the club will conduct a thorough, immediate search for a new general manager while urging players and coaches to continue competing for the season.
- Reports indicate assistant general manager Ed Dodds will remain in an interim front-office role, and the team is weighing whether to trade veterans ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline to regain draft capital lost in prior moves.
- Players expressed visible frustration after the loss that preceded the firing, with veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner publicly saying he was “sick and tired of the same song and dance every year,” a comment that underscores locker-room impatience.
- Ballard leaves after 10 seasons with a 72-82-1 record and widely questioned roster decisions—most notably the 2025 trade that sent two future first-round picks for Sauce Gardner—which critics say limited the Colts’ ability to rebuild quickly.