For the first time since August, before the 2024 season began, Indianapolis Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard met with the media to discuss this past year, along with what’s ahead.
After another disappointing season that resulted in the Colts’ missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, Ballard was retained and will be the team’s general manager in 2025.
If you missed any of Ballard’s press conference on Friday, here is what you nee to know from it:
– “I’ve got to own all of that,” said Ballard about the Colts not making the playoffs in four years and not having a playoff win since 2018. “There’s definitely a sense of guilt for not getting it done at this time.”
– Ballard called himself “stubborn” and said as he reflected throughout the week that they need to self-evaluate how they build the team and how they operate moving forward. This is the only way they can create real change.
– “I don’t think we can completely stamp it,” said Ballard when asked about his confidence in Anthony Richardson being the guy. They’ve seen the ‘wow’ plays but need the consistency. Ballard also adds that Richardson has to stay healthy. “The good news is,” said Ballard, that Richardson will go into the offseason healthy.
– “We can’t beat our head against the wall,” said Ballard, we need competition at quarterback because competition makes everyone better but Richardson hasn’t shown that he can play 17 games.
– “Yeah, I did,” said Ballard when asked if we was too rigid in sticking to his own philosophy. He mentions that after how the 2023 season ended, he thought the team was trending up, and “it was a mistake” not adding competition to the roster. Ballard acknowledged that “ego” and “complacency” on the roster, which DeForest Buckner called out, was correct.
– “We’ve got to be better about making sure that we identify the right free agents that can help push this team to where it needs to go.” Ballard goes on to say “we are not close,” mentioning that losing on the last play of the Super Bowl is close, at 8-9, the Colts are not close.
– “He does a good job holding guys accountable,” said Ballard about Shane Steichen. Ballard adds that he doesn’t like all the things said to the media and not kept internally. He addressed the team about that.
– “I don’t agree with everything Pat (McAfee) said, but there is some truth to it,” said Ballard about the criticisms of the Colts’ culture. “You can’t fool players,” added Ballard.
– Ballard on the fan perception of if he’s the right GM for the Colts: “I don’t blame them for being (expletive) and questioning. I’m very grateful that I’m given another opportunity to earn their trust back.”
– Jim Irsay’s message to Ballard: “Fix it….”he was direct.”
– “In a perfect world a young quarterback would sit. We weren’t living in a perfect world,” said Ballard about Richardson starting right away. Ballard added that regardless, he wishes they would have sat Richardson right away. “He was drowning,” Ballard said of Richardson this season and why they sat him. Richardson needed to “calm down,” he had lost his poise, and needed to learn how to prepare.
– In the Colts’ leadership meeting before they made the decision to put Richardson back in the lineup, other members of the Colts team shared with Richardson what they needed to see from him going forward. Ballard mentioned some of the positives against New York, Detroit, and New England that they saw from him after his return.
– Ballard said that Michael Pittman will not need surgery on his back.
– About the defense, Ballard said it’s on everyone–he has to bring in more competition but all levels of the organization in that regard need to improve. Ballard adds that the new defensive coordinator will make the decisions about the current defensive position coaches.
– The new defensive coordinator will be chosen by Steichen. Ballard will be a part of the conversations.
– “I’m very grateful,” said Ballard about getting a ninth season at the helm. “I don’t run from the criticism.”
– “Just young,” said Ballard about AD Mitchell’s rookie year. He also added that Alec Pierce’s emergence was a part of that. Pierce is an “excellent, excellent football player.” Ballard says Mitchell has to be more consistent.
– “I think our D-line played pretty good,” said Ballard. The sacks and pressure rate took a step back this season. Ballard says “we’ve got to be a better tackling team.”
– “We’ve got to get better,” said Ballard about the secondary.
– “There are certain times where our messaging needs to be better,” said Ballard about Steichen.
– Ballard wasn’t going to get into his conversations with Zaire Franklin, but did say, “you can’t win with distractions.”
– “We’ve got to make sure we have enough depth there,” said Ballard about the offensive line, and again added that improved competition throughout the roster is needed.
