The Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday, one day after their 26-20 home loss to the Tennessee Titans dropped them to 2-4. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the club will begin a thorough search for its next general manager.
Ballard exits in his 10th season with a 72-82-1 record and two playoff appearances. The timing puts Indianapolis on an unusual in-season track: Its current football operation must manage the final 11 games, prepare for the NFL trade deadline and give Irsay-Gordon a clearer picture of what needs to change before the next hire arrives.
Locked On Colts football analyst Zach Hicks said the Titans loss made waiting until January unnecessary. Hicks argued that keeping Ballard through the season would have created a lame-duck situation and delayed the work Irsay-Gordon described in her statement.
Locked On Colts football analyst Jake Arthur put the immediate concern more bluntly: “There’s no one coming to save them.” Arthur’s point was not that Indianapolis lacks talent, but that the organization had little reason to expect an internal fix after its loss to a Tennessee team that entered Sunday winless.
The show also framed Ballard’s departure as a possible opening for roster moves. Hicks and Arthur identified Indianapolis Colts defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart as veterans who could draw calls before the deadline.
That distinction matters. Irsay-Gordon said the firing does not change the Colts’ goals for 2026, but her decision to act now gives Indianapolis time to define its front office structure before the offseason.
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