Chris Ballard to Stick to Lackluster Strategy in Last Chance With Colts

It's not often that general managers are with an NFL team for 10 seasons, especially if the squad has performed subpar or whiffed on several playoff appearances and divisional titles.

However, for Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts, this is the real situation.

Ballard joined the Colts as the front office leader in 2017 and, since then, has amassed a 62-69-1 record for a lackluster 47 win percentage. His teams have also seen just two playoff appearances, one postseason victory, and no divisional crowns.

However, heading into 2026, Ballard is on his last leg, and he understands the situation in full.

ESPN's Stephen Holder detailed Ballard's comments. When Ballard was asked if he'll alter his approach with everything on the line this year, he stood firm in his game plan.

"I don't make decisions based on my job.

I wouldn't do that for the franchise. That's not the right thing for the organization. You try to make good, sound decisions that you think are in the long-term best interest of the franchise.

I would do that whether I had a five-year deal in front of me or I'm in the last week of my deal."

Ballard continued.

"I want good for the Indianapolis Colts. OK? And eventually my time will be up at this place and that's part of it and that's OK. When they tell me I'm not the guy for the job and I'm not good enough for it, we'll deal with that. But I'm still as confident as I've ever been. I still believe in what we do."

Colts general manager Chris Ballard (dark red shirt) talks to the media at the NFL Combine. — Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ballard hasn't been able to right the ship during his tenure as the general manager, especially at quarterback, since Andrew Luck hung up the cleats ahead of the 2019 season.

However, 2025 was a year that looked to finally be the season where Ballard's Colts got it right, starting at a blistering 8-2 record and standing atop the NFL as the premier team.

It also appeared that Indianapolis finally landed a franchise-level quarterback in Daniel Jones, who took the starting job after winning the QB competition against Anthony Richardson Sr.

After Jones put up the best football we've seen him produce, he fractured his fibula and followed that injury up with a season-ending Achilles tear. This assisted in sending the Colts spiraling to finish with a brutal 8-9 record after riding a seven-game losing streak.

Colts GM Chris Ballard kept it real, per usual, in his chat with local reporters here at the NFL owners meetings.

Ballard, after two playoff appearances in nine years, is entering the final season of his contract and is on notice from ownership to improve results. pic.twitter.com/qq5TWfcHZg
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 30, 2026

Other notable injuries included defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, and offensive tackle Braden Smith.

While Ballard definitely can't control the multitude of injuries that plagued the Colts, it still logs another sad finish to a year where hope was at an all-time high for the fanbase.

CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon understood fully that injuries were out of the front office's control, as well as head coach Shane Steichen's.

Immediately following the Colts getting bounced from the 2025 playoffs, Irsay-Gordon announced that Ballard and Steichen would be brought back for the 2026 season.

However, Irsay-Gordon also said, “Giving them another opportunity means that the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher.”

Colts general manager Chris Ballard (gray shirt) talks to the Indianapolis media following the 2025 season. — Indianapolis Colts General Manager Chris Ballard speaks with media Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Colts practice facility in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's quite simple: Ballard can't fail again.

While the expectations aren't entirely laid out in concrete, it's assumed that the Colts need to achieve serious success in the form of winning the AFC South, getting to the playoffs, and even winning a postseason matchup for him to be retained.

After the first wave of free agency, Indianapolis' roster doesn't look like a team that can compete to make a playoff run, let alone take the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans having potentially more capable rosters.

The Colts are in a desperate form of 'win now,' and have to hit all targets with bullseyes in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft.

This is a team that looks to be teetering on the verge of a freefall, even after an impressive start to the 2025 campaign.

With everything on the line, it will be pure cinema to see what Ballard does with his squad in year 10.

He may claim that he won't change his approach, but to keep his job and get the most success in the Circle City, he might have no choice in the matter, considering his strategy has fallen flat almost every season.

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