Why Colts fired GM Chris Ballard after Week 6 loss to Titans originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Indianapolis Colts are currently 2-4 in the regular season, tied with the Houston Texans in the AFC South standings, and only two games back of the Jacksonville Jaguars sitting atop the division through six weeks.
But following the Colts’ Week 6 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the vibes for this team took a nosedive. Overall, while there might still be hope for this season, things aren’t looking promising at all following a loss to the 0-5 Titans.
After that loss, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported that the Colts have fired general manager Chris Ballard. While change occurring after such a loss isn’t a surprise, why was Ballard the one to be fired? Well, there are a few reasons why this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Why Colts are firing Chris Ballard from GM role
“BREAKING: The Colts have fired GM Chris Ballard @TheAthletic,” Jones reported Monday morning following their Week 6 loss to the Titans.
Week 6 was a brutal loss for the Colts, and Ballard paid the price. He was fired in the middle of his 10th season as the Colts’ general manager.
Amid a five-year playoff drought, the Colts seem headed for a sixth straight season where they could miss the playoffs. Ballard’s roster construction is a huge reason for this mid-season change.
Last season might’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back, as Ballard traded two first-round picks to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner, which was almost instantly proven to be the wrong decision.
MORE: Colts fans are calling for Daniel Jones benching after ugly Titans loss
Add in the extension for Daniel Jones, the bust of a draft pick with Anthony Richardson Sr., the major roster holes on the Colts’ 2026 roster, especially at wide receiver following the trade of Michael Pittman Jr., and there are plenty of things to fire Ballard for.
With the Colts under .500 since Ballard took over, and in a precarious spot with their franchise going into the future with no 2027 first-rounder and little to ship away to kick-start a rebuild, there’s some real concern with this team Ballard constructed.
There has been buzz about Ballard being fired for a few years now, and this decision from the Colts should come as little surprise.
Change needed to happen for this team, and whether it leads to a sell-off at the trade deadline or not, Ballard’s departure makes perfect sense.
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