5 Takeaways From Colts GM Chris Ballard’s End-of-Season Presser

Chris Ballard discussed many topics in his yearly end-of-season press conference, including evaluating himself, the state of the Indianapolis Colts, the head coaching search, and more.

As Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard stepped up to the table and took a seat for his end-of-season press conference, he knew what he was in for.

Two days ago, the team he has been charged with constructing finished a miserable season. From AFC South favorites heading into the year to a disappointing 4-12-1 record, including losing seven straight and embarrassing themselves along the way, the Colts were an abject failure in 2022.

Ballard isn’t dumb. He hears and reads the criticism from fans and the media. And, as he likes to say, “I watch the same games y’all do.”

But now he is tasked with fixing the mess he helped build. Bringing the Colts back from the cellar of the NFL standings will take time. Indy still needs to find a head coach and a quarterback, to name a few things that will be addressed. However, the general manager isn’t wavering.

“When you fail in this world, you get cancelled and everybody wants your head, and rightfully so in some cases,” Ballard admitted. “But, if you’re able to go through it and grow from it, you can reach your greatest heights and I think we will.”

Ballard answered questions for nearly 40 minutes on Tuesday, speaking about himself, the team, the head coaching search, and a variety of other topics. As always, Ballard left some nuggets as to what the team is thinking and the direction of the Colts over the next few months. Here are my five takeaways from Ballard’s end-of-season presser.

Honest with Himself

Ballard was candidly honest about his involvement in the Colts’ disappointing season. The roster he constructed was supposed to be built in the trenches, dominating teams up front. Instead, the Colts were blown out on multiple occasions, with their last win of the season coming at the beginning of November.

“I failed,” Ballard said. “I’m not going to sit up here and make excuses. I failed a lot of people. Highly disappointed about where we’re at, how the season went. I never take lightly what’s at stake here. It’s not the wins and losses, but people’s lives are on the line – players’ families, coaches’ families, front office, people in this building. I never take that lightly. I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed in where we’re at. Ultimately, it falls on my shoulders. I won’t walk away from that, I won’t run from it.”

While Ballard is not the only person who deserves blame – looking at you, Jim Irsay – this is the roster he has built over the last six years. His fingerprints are all over the demise of the Colts. Ballard realizes this and knows he needs to fix it.

It is refreshing to see Ballard holding himself accountable for what has transpired with this team. The opposite has come from interim head coach Jeff Saturday, who seemed to have plenty of excuses for why the team did not improve under his watch. Regardless, Ballard knows that if Indy does not start to improve, he may not be the general manager for much longer.

A Change in Philosophy

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One of the things Ballard has been criticized for over the years has been the lack of resources dedicated to finding stars at premium positions. Quarterback, left tackle, and wide receiver are a few of the positions the Colts have failed to go all out for in terms of finding bonafide stars. It seems like Ballard knows he must be better in this area.

“I’ve got to grow. Like I’m very stubborn and dogmatic sometimes. I do believe you have to be great up front. That will be on my grave. You’ve got to be good up front and we weren’t good enough this year. We showed signs and I do think there’s potential going forward but at the end of the day we weren’t good enough, and that’s on me. In terms of how we build the rest of the roster, that’s an area that we’ll examine hard and move forward and grow.”

Roster building is an area where Ballard certainly needs to grow. Using free agency and being more aggressive in this period is something that also should be looked at by Ballard and this team. Do not expect Ballard to sign every big-name free agent out there, but free agency may be used more in the future to help plug holes around the roster.

Relationship with Irsay Intact

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Much has been made about Irsay’s meddling this season. The impulsive decisions the owner has made over the last few seasons have helped contribute to the fall of this team. Irsay has been stepping in and making decisions behind the scenes, making it seem like Ballard does not have the control he once did.

Ballard, however, showed no ill will towards his owner on Tuesday. Multiple times he went out of his way to say he likes to work for Irsay and that they have a good relationship.

“I’m going to say this about Mr. Irsay, I love working for him. He’s a good man. He’s a good owner, and he has a lot of experience in this league. We talk about everything, and we don’t always agree. If we’re agreeing all the time, I’m not doing my job. I think y’all have been around me long enough to know that it just comes out. Like sometimes even when I don’t want it to, it just comes out. Like I’m going to be honest and tell you what I think, and I’m very honest with him about what I think and he’s very honest and direct with me… Mr. Irsay lets me do my job.”

It seems that Ballard’s relationship with Irsay is still intact. But will it stay that way if Irsay continues to make decisions his general manager does not agree with? These next few months will be very telling.

Colts Will Draft a QB at No.4

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It seems like a foregone conclusion at this point that the Colts will be taking a quarterback at the top of the draft. The days of trading for retread veteran quarterbacks are over as the team looks for long-term stability at the most important position.

“When you’re changing quarterbacks every year it’s tough. It’s tough on everybody. It’s tough on the team. Not getting that position settled has a little something to do with it.”

The Colts are slated to pick fourth in the 2023 NFL Draft. Indy will have options at the top with several intriguing quarterback options, namely Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Will Levis. But as Ballard always likes to say, it is not about just taking one, they have to be right about who they take.

“We can take one as an organization and y’all are going to celebrate it and say, ‘We have got the savior for the Colts.’ And then if he doesn’t play well, ‘Why did you take that guy?’ You’ve got to be right. We’ve got to be right. We understand the magnitude of where we’re at in the draft and we understand the importance of the position. To get one that actually you can win with and to be right is the most important thing. Not, if we take one or not – being right.”

While the Colts have the No.4 overall pick, there is a lot of drama surrounding the No.1 overall pick. The Chicago Bears hold the top pick, but already have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans sit at No.2 and will be in the market for a quarterback as well. While Ballard was coy about drafting a quarterback, saying he would not be surprised if they did not take a quarterback, would the Colts look to trade up past the Texans to ensure they get their guy?

“Yes, I’d do whatever it takes,” Ballard admitted. “If we thought there’s a player that we’re driven to get that makes the franchise and the team better that’s what we would do.”

Stay tuned.

Coaching Search Will be Extensive, Saturday a Candidate

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Before the Colts can draft what they hope is their franchise quarterback, they must hire a full-time head coach. With Irsay making so many of the decisions recently, many have speculated who will actually be conducting the search for the next head coach. Ballard cleared that up on Tuesday.

“I’ll lead the search. Ultimately, Mr. Irsay makes the final call. There’s 32 teams, 32 owners. They own the team. We give him, here’s our thoughts, and Mr. Irsay is a good listener. Ultimately, he’ll make the final call but he will lean heavily on our work and what we do to get the coaching candidates in place.”

With Irsay making the final call on the head coach, there are obvious names who stand out. Saturday is still considered a serious candidate despite going 1-7 in his interim stead. Irsay also has an affinity for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who played for the Colts from 1994-1997 and is a member of the team’s Ring of Honor. But Ballard has vowed that this will be an extensive search.

“We’ve got a very detailed process put together on the traits and attributes we’re looking for in the head coach. Don’t care which side of the ball. And then to be patient and take your time and make sure we have a thorough interview with everybody. Consistent, thorough – I don’t care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach. It’s about getting it right.”

As of Tuesday, the Colts have already requested interviews with five different coordinators around the league. Adding Saturday makes six potential interviews, with plenty more to come. But just like selecting a quarterback, they need to make sure they get it right.

Will Irsay go off the recommendation of Ballard or choose on his own? That is a question all Colts fans are desperately waiting to be answered.

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