When a team owner holds a press conference to announce that a general manager and head coach will return for another season, as Carlie Irsay-Gordon did back in January, it’s a clear sign that the returning individuals are on the hot seat.
That’s certainly the case in Indianapolis for Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen, and Irsay-Gordon made that clear when she said the franchise has been clear with the two that “the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher.”
In other words, if the Colts don’t emerge as a contender in 2026, the team will likely be searching for a new head coach and general manager next offseason. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to Colts fans, especially when it comes to Chris Ballard. However, that reality could be affecting the team’s future building, or lack thereof.
Indianapolis Colts could be hesitant to give out extensions with Chris Ballard on the hot seat
Indianapolis has several key veterans who are in line for extensions, but the Colts haven’t been in a hurry to get any deals done. With Ballard on the hot seat, it’s fair to wonder if the organization is hesitant to commit a ton of money that a new regime will have to pay out.
Much of Indianapolis’ core is nearing the end of its current deals. Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, and Josh Downs are all entering the final season of their contracts. Considering that they are key players to what the Colts do, on both sides of the ball, and are still playing at high levels, it only makes sense to get them under contract long term.
One of the few reasons why it wouldn’t make sense is if the person responsible for building future rosters isn’t currently in the building. An argument can be made that any general manager would love to inherit a team with players of that caliber under contract, but general managers also like to be in control of which players they sign and for how much.
Of course, if this is the reason for Indianapolis’ hesitancy to get deals done, it would have to be a call that came from ownership. Ballard’s job is to operate as normally as long as he’s employed, and that includes extending players. It’s possible that the Colts get some deals done ahead of the season, or they could have to wait until they have a better idea of what the future will look like.
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