Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has an interesting way of answering reporters' questions many times. That is part of his job, but certainly not the most important part. That would be creating a roster that can win games and win playoff games.
Listening to Ballard give answers, one might think he has won something in Indy. That is the vibe he gives off with faux self-assurance, but the truth is, Ballard has been a failure in his nine years with the team.
His teams have won double-digit games only twice, and made the playoffs the same number of times. Indy has never won the AFC South during Ballard's tenure. But anyone not aware of the previous facts wouldn't understand that by listening to the GM speak. He handles himself as if he knows well what he is doing.
Indianapolis Colts' Chris Ballard signing Philip Rivers might be his last hope to keep his job
He might have also just given an indication of how safe he feels in his job. After quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14, requiring him to miss the rest of the season and most of next year too (he is also a free agent this coming offseason), a GM who feels his job is secure might have gone with the next-man-up mentality.
After all, 2025 draft pick Riley Leonard was better than expected in the final three quarters of Week 14 after taking over for the injured Jones. Instead, Ballard signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who has been retired since right after the 2020 season.
Maybe the idea is to have Rivers simply be a mentor to Leonard, as the two quarterbacks have had a working relationship since before Indianapolis drafted Leonard. If that is the case, it doesn't say much about how Ballard thinks head coach Shane Steichen can prepare Leonard to start the rest of the season.
Ballard would obviously be thinking Steichen needs some help. Perhaps that much is true.
Rivers was only signed to the practice squad, of course, but that makes sense because that gives the Colts some time to think about what corresponding move the team will make to the active roster to activate Rivers.
If he is activated, that is a bit of shame for the player. The clock for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction vote would restart, and he wouldn't be available for induction until 2030. Maybe Rivers doesn't care about that, and he simply wants to help Leonard.
But some quarterback from the practice squad, either Philip Rivers or Brett Rypien, will need to be elevated in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks. The only active quarterback currently is Riley Leonard.
Injured quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson are currently on injured reserve. Jones is definitely out for the rest of the year, and Richardson likely will be too.
All of this appears to imply that Chris Ballard understands he must get to the playoffs this season, and that signing Rivers is going to somehow make that possible. Ballard already mortgaged the Indianapolis Colts' future by dealing two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline. Therefore, the team won't be able to take a highly-rated QB in the draft.
Ballard better hope that Philip Rivers can either mentor Riley Leonard to greatness or enter a game and look like his 40-year-old self. Anything else, and Chris Ballard will no longer be able to answer questions arrogantly because he might be looking for a new job.