Could the Colts have in-season staff changes if they keep struggling?
The Indianapolis Colts are off to another slow start and that puts the spotlight on head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard.
The NFL season has been in full swing for four weeks. The Indianapolis Colts have only won one of those weeks. Every week that Indy doesn’t win, fans call for the firing of head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard. Being with the franchise for five and six years respectively, both have had ample opportunity to achieve success and fans believe that their time has expired. While the clock hasn’t officially expired on Reich and Ballard, it is certainly ticking, loudly.
Both Ballard and Reich have dealt with some adversity doing their time with the Colts but have been able to weather storms to the point that both have been considered one of the best in the league at their respective positions. Chris Ballard has developed a reputation for being a good drafting general manager and also one that is able to lock up homegrown talents to quality extensions.
Reich, on the other hand, entered the 2022 season with a 37-28 record and two playoff appearances with just one win. That was all done despite having a different starting quarterback in every year of his tenure. However, with good typically comes some bad and that’s the case for both Reich and Ballard.
Reich hasn’t won a division championship yet in the AFC South and he has been unable to lead the Colts to the kind of postseason success that the franchise is hoping for. Ballard has also developed a negative reputation for not spending enough money and being aggressive in free agency, often leaving correctable holes in Indy’s roster.
Now, with the Colts sitting at 1-2-1 entering Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season, it’s fair to ask: if Indy keeps struggling throughout the season, could Jim Irsay make the decision to move on from Reich and Ballard before the season is even over?
Could Colts move on from Frank Reich or Chris Ballard during the season?
While it’s possible that Irsay could reach his breaking point at any moment and just decide to move on, it’s extremely unlikely that happens before the conclusion of the season. Irsay is known to see things through before making a swift decision at the conclusion of the year.
When the Colts moved on from Ryan Grigson it was in January, following the 2016 season. Same with Chuck Pagano, who was fired after the final game of the 2017 season. The same will likely be the case for Reich and Ballard if things get to that point. Hopefully, it doesn’t have to come to that for the Colts.
Both Ballard and Reich have done their fair share of good throughout their tenures in Indianapolis, so they’ve definitely earned the grace to see a season to its conclusion. Additionally, Indy habitually starts seasons slow under Reich and he always finds a way to turn the team around. That’s another reason why it’s unlikely that he will be let go during the season. All of this conversation can go away entirely if the Colts start winning games.
