This offseason is the biggest offseason the Colts have faced in the Chris Ballard era. What they do in this offseason will determine the future of this franchise.
After Josh McDaniels declined to stay with the Colts, it threw the franchise into a temporary state of disarray. They had no coach and no direction. They entered a crossroads as a franchise and needed to make a decision on how to move the franchise forward.
The same can be said for the 2020 offseason but in a different sort of way. The Colts enter another crossroads, but this one has to deal with personnel decisions. Chris Ballard has to decide on the state of the quarterback position, as well as several positions on defense.
That quarterback decision will define his legacy as GM. Quarterback is unquestionably the most important position on the field. It has been proven time and time again that you can’t win a championship without having a top-tier starting quarterback.
Ballard might give Jacoby Brissett another chance to prove that he can be that guy. Brissett didn’t have enough weapons around him because of injuries at the receiver and tight end positions. He might get another chance to see what he can do with a healthy group of pass-catchers.
There is about an equal chance that Ballard opts to go with someone else to start at QB. It could be Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, or another free agent. Or it could be Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, or Jacob Eason from the draft.
Two weeks from now we will have some answers. Free agency will start and we will find out if a new QB is on their way Indy or not. We will also find out if Ballard shells out for another wide receiver or defensive lineman. Will Jabaal Sheard be back? What will Anthony Castonzo‘s contract look like?
These are the sort of franchise-altering questions that the team faces before they even suit up to play a game. The decisions that are made will determine the ceiling of this team for the next five to ten years.