Ballard Falls on Sword at Year-End Presser

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard made no attempt at justifying the Colts' disappointing season.

It was a tumultuous-2022 season for the Indianapolis Colts that began with promise and quickly came crashing down toa 4-12-1 final record.

General manager Chris Ballard was the architect of the team, and he made no attempt at excuses or rationalizing the Colts' failures.

"Look, I failed," said Ballard bluntly. 

"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."

The Colts just missed the playoffs in 2021 and hoped an perceived upgrade at quarterback in Matt Ryan would be the next step. Instead, the entire offense regressed.

"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. Saying that, we’ll grow from it and I’ll grow from it and I’ll get better because of it."

If Ballard did do any rationalizing, it was self-motivation.

"Unfortunately, our greatest moments of growth and greatest times of growth happen in the darkness. You’ve just got to keep your eyes open and see the light. Had some rough moments this season thinking about where we’re at and how we got where we’re at, the mistakes I had made."

"There’s only one way to – you’ve got to go through it. You can’t avoid it, can’t go over it, can’t go under it. I mean, you’ve got to go through it. It’s the only way you’re going to grow."

Ballard maintains the Colts aren't as bad as their 4-12-1 record might indicate. This was a team being touted as a playoff contender in the preseason.

"I believe in our people, I believe in our processes. We have really smart, good people in this building, and I believe going forward we’ll prove that."

While Ballard may not exactly welcome the criticism he and the Colts have received this year, he certainly understands it.

"I know there’s doubt, there should be," said Ballard. "Absolutely, there should be. The criticism, it’s warranted. Criticism regarding my job and what I’ve done, it’s warranted."

"But I’ve not lost any confidence in what we can build here. We live in a world where failure is not allowed. It’s not allowed. If you fail in this world – and we’re doing it at the biggest stage. When you fail in this world, you get cancelled and everybody wants your head, and rightfully so in some cases."

"But, if you’re able to go through it and grow from it, you can reach your greatest heights and I think we will. All of the things written and said, most of it’s warranted."

"We didn’t perform well enough, and it falls on me."

The offseason began Sunday afternoon, and step one of rebuilding the Colts will be hiring a new coach.