Ballard, who simply completed his eighth season as GM in Indianapolis, has been underneath heavy hearth by the media these days. Throughout his tenure, the Colts have didn’t win a single division title. The staff began season 4-3 with wins over the Steelers and Dolphins, however a three-game shedding streak adopted by alternating wins and losses to shut the 12 months left the Colts at 8-9 and two spots out of the playoffs. That is the sixth time in Ballard’s eight years that Indianapolis has missed the playoffs and the fourth season in a row.
Whereas Ballard was considered to be on the hot seat, in keeping with Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports activities, Steichen was prone to return as head coach. Solely in his second season as head coach, Steichen has gone a constant 17-17 because the skipper of the Colts.
If there may be certainly an issue within the management in Indianapolis, it could be communication. There have been rumblings of a scarcity of course in addition to some “public misconceptions as a result of comparatively excessive stage of secrecy throughout the constructing.” This has been particularly the case surrounding the dealing with of the beginning quarterback place and the benching of prime 2023 draft choose Anthony Richardson. The notion is that the communication points have been within the constructing for years, however with Steichen as head coach, the problems have improved.
If there’s a teaching change, although, Jones anticipates that it may come on protection. With the staff getting into Week 18 at twenty seventh in factors allowed and twenty ninth in yards allowed, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley could not find yourself returning to teach the protection in 2025.
As for Ballard and Steichen, Irsay’s feedback appear to point that no modifications can be made. The staff will hope to search out its course underneath 12 months 9 of Ballard and 12 months three of Steichen.