The Colts have let go of general manager Chris Ballard, just a day after “Fire Ballard” chants resonated in Lucas Oil Stadium during a defeat to the winless Tennessee Titans. Ballard, in his 10th year directing the Colts, was dismissed Monday morning, just one day after his squad squandered a 13-point halftime advantage before falling to Tennessee.
Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will manage the personnel department for the rest of the season. In the meantime, coach Shane Steichen and his team of coaches will update ownership. Ballard, entering the last year of his contract, faced a pivotal season following the team’s seven-game losing streak in 2025 that disrupted its 8-2 start and led owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her sisters to contemplate significant changes.
The Colts became the first team in history to achieve six wins beyond .500 and end up with a losing record.
In the end, the Colts were unable to change that pattern and are currently 2-4, on a path that clearly indicates the team is unlikely to achieve the outcomes ownership anticipated for Ballard and Steichen to be kept long term.
Irsay-Gordon issued a statement on Monday stating that Ballard had “invested all his efforts into this organization.”
Ballard concludes his time in Indianapolis with a record of 72-82-1. The Colts had only two playoff appearances with Ballard (2018, 2020), achieving just one playoff win.
Significantly, the Colts did not win the AFC South throughout his tenure and have not taken the division title since 2014 — which was former quarterback Andrew Luck’s second year.
The Colts’ ongoing five-year playoff absence is the longest for the franchise since a seven-year stretch from 1988 to 1994.
