Chris Ballard Has Put Colts into the 'Shadow Zone'

It's no secret that Chris Ballard's time as the Indianapolis Colts' general manager has been lackluster.

Even after a blistering 8-2 start in 2025, the team somehow still missed the playoffs and lost every game after their bye week, starting with the Kansas City Chiefs and ending with the Houston Texans.

This is Ballard's last chance this year, and Patrick Daugherty at NBC Sports aired his thoughts on Indy's GM in a list ranking all 32 front office leaders.

Ballard falls all the way to the 21st spot, which could be considered generous by Daugherty. The analyst doesn't hold back, even mentioning Ballard has put Indianapolis into the 'shadow zone.'

"Chris Ballard has been on the job for nine seasons and two Irsays. Not much seems to be changing.

This is not a good enough overall roster to make Jones the next Sam Darnold as an unlikely Super Bowl winner. It’s probably not even good enough to win a resurgent AFC South.

In other words, it’s what it has been for most of Ballard’s tenure. Neither star-laden nor swimming in depth and without a franchise QB, the Colts remain in the NFL’s shadow zone."

Chris Ballard talks to the media at the NFL Combine. — Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard meets with the media at the 2026 NFL Combine. | Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To say that Ballard has Indianapolis in the 'shadow zone' couldn't be more accurate from Daugherty.

Since 2017, Ballard has not just put up mediocre records; his decision-making has been questionable at best, outside of a few bright spots.

Ballard has just two playoff appearances in his nine years with the Colts: 2018 with Andrew Luck and 2020 with Philip Rivers. Outside of that, his teams have not eclipsed nine victories.

All in all, he's compiled a subpar record of 70-78-1, with just a single playoff win to show for his efforts.

Ballard approached 2025 differently, being more aggressive with trades and through free agency. Names like Daniel Jones, Charvarius Ward, and Cam Bynum were big additions that added massive talent to the roster.

Once the Colts appeared to be a serious playoff contender, Ballard went all-in by trading Indy's 2026 and 2027 first-rounders for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.

#Colts GM Chris Ballard said he would do the Sauce Gardner trade again, considering the age, the contract, and the difficulty of finding that caliber of cornerback.

"Those guys are not easy to find."

(🎥 @Colts) pic.twitter.com/IynHnrHquv
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 8, 2026

However, outside of Bynum, none of the other three players stayed healthy enough to make a lasting impact after that excellent 8-2 start.

Jones tore his Achilles, Ward suffered seemingly endless concussions, and Gardner missed significant time due to a calf strain.

These injuries are outside of Ballard's control, but the fact that they happened to three out of the four big adds that he executed is fitting with how he's performed as the general manager.

As mentioned at the top of the article, this is Ballard's last shot to make something happen with his team in 2026.

I don't necessarily agree with Daugherty when he mentions this roster isn't good enough to push for a Super Bowl, because that's exactly what Indianapolis was doing before injuries plagued the roster at the most critical areas.

After Ballard executed a solid draft headlined by linebacker C.J. Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy, this is a team capable of making noise, similar to how they did to get to that great 8-2 start.

However, it will all depend on how Jones recovers from his Achilles, and if Ward and Gardner can stay healthy to be the lockdown corners Lou Anarumo needs for his defense.

If there was any season for Ballard to finally get his team out of the 'shadow zone,' 2026 is the year to do it.

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