Overview
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano say most league chatter leans toward Ballard returning for a 10th season, though nothing is set.
- The Colts fell from 8-2 to out of the postseason with six straight losses, a rarity since the 1970 merger.
- Ballard’s 2025 shift to aggressiveness included acquiring Sauce Gardner for two future first-round picks and WR Adonai Mitchell.
- Injuries undercut the push, with Gardner sidelined by a calf issue and quarterback Daniel Jones suffering a season-ending torn Achilles.
- If Ballard stays, he is expected to handle Daniel Jones’ pending contract talks, and Shane Steichen’s status is viewed as tied to whether a new GM is hired.