Colts Fire GM Chris Ballard Following Loss to Titans

The Colts have officially fired general manager Chris Ballard following Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the Titans, ending his tenure with the organization after nearly a decade.

Ballard, who took over as general manager in 2017, leaves Indianapolis without a single AFC South title during his tenure. The Colts reached the playoffs twice under his leadership, with their last postseason appearance coming in 2020.

Irsay-Gordon released a statement on Monday.

“As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher. Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.”

She also explained why the organization decided to move forward with the firing rather than wait until the offseason.

“Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now.”

The Colts will now begin searching for their next general manager while attempting to turn their season around.

Since Ballard became general manager, the Colts have started eight different quarterbacks in Week 1, including Scott Tolzien, Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Anthony Richardson, and Daniel Jones.

Richardson and Jones were the only quarterbacks to start consecutive season openers during that stretch, with Richardson starting in 2023 and 2024 before Jones took over in 2025 and 2026.

The lack of stability contributed to the Colts missing the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.

Perhaps the most notable statistic from Ballard’s tenure is that Indianapolis never captured an AFC South championship. Since 2017, the Jaguars, Texans, and Titans have won the division.

The Colts were the only AFC South team that failed to win the division during Ballard’s time as GM.

Although Ballard is no longer with the organization, head coach Shane Steichen remains in his position.

However, the decision to move on from Ballard raises questions about what additional changes Indianapolis could make if the team continues to struggle.

For Ballard, his time with the Colts ends after nearly 10 seasons, two playoff appearances, and no division championships.

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