'We'll Be Patient; We Will Wait': Ballard Never Panicked During Search For Next QB
Just under two months ago, after trading away quarterback Carson Wentz after one failed year at the helm, the Indianapolis Colts found themselves in a rather precarious spot at the most important position in all of sports.
Thanks to serious patience overall from the leadership team of owner Jim Irsay, GM Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich though, the Colts were able to remain patient and let new starting quarterback Matt Ryan fall into their laps via trade, thanks in large part to the Atlanta Falcons' failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday afternoon, Ballard praised Irsay and Reich for their vision in chasing Ryan, turning a situation that was deemed a long shot into a reality.
"I'll give Mr. Irsay a lot of credit," Ballard said. "That's the one thing I really appreciate about him; he's done the job before, he's been a GM. He kept telling me, 'you know what Chris, something good is going to happen. Keep working, don't panic. Don't just make a move to make a move. Be patient' — which I am by nature. Be patient and something could come to fruition by nature."
That's exactly what happened as the Falcons pursued Watson via trade before ultimately striking out, eventually forcing Ryan to want a change of scenery. That patience paid off for Ballard and the Colts as Indianapolis was poised to strike — not only from a draft capital standpoint — but from a salary cap standpoint, easily being able to fold Ryan's contract into the mix for the next two seasons, essentially solving the Colts' QB quandary that has lasted for the last five years dating back to Andrew Luck's retirement.
"I think they wanted to do the right thing for Matt," Ballard said. "Matt's meant the world to that franchise, so when they went down the Watson road, they wanted to find a good place. I think even before that, Matt did some research on us, calling Peyton [Manning] and asking around the league. It's good, because the feelings were mutual on wanting to make this happen."
With Ryan in the mix as the starting quarterback, the Colts appear set overall at the most important position in sports, capping off a rather strong off-season in general, getting out from under the Wentz contract, re-signing some key players and seemingly nailing the 2022 NFL Draft overall.
The question of Baker Mayfield and him being a possibility for the Colts prior to Ryan's acquisition still lingers though, especially with Mayfield previously stating he wanted to land in Indianapolis.
Ballard, in so many words, didn't shoot down the Mayfield possibility, but he added that the Colts were always going to look at every available quarterback, stay patient, and in the end the Colts — in Ballard's words — got lucky.
"We went through every quarterback that we thought was going to be available," Ballard said. "I remember telling Mr. Irsay and Frank, 'we'll be patient, we will wait, and the best option will present itself to us at the right time.'
"I wish I could tell you I had some crystal ball and that I knew this was going to happen, but sometimes Rich, you just get a little lucky," Ballard added. "Lord knows we needed this to happen, but we evaluated every quarterback, and ultimately we ended up with the one that we thought was the best option for us."
Have thoughts on the Colts' acquisition of Matt Ryan and how it worked out in the end for the Colts and Chris Ballard? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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