It took her longer than it should've, but less time than most people expected. But after a terrible loss to the once-winless Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon finally ended Chris Ballard's tenure as general manager.
Terrible gambles in free agency and the NFL Draft, a revolving door at quarterback, and perennial underachievement stained Ballard's tenure with the organization. Even so, it felt like this day would never come.
Of course, letting him go won't automatically fix things, but it's a step in the right direction. At least it shows accountability. With that in mind, let's talk about some realistic candidates to replace them, as well as a couple of unlikely (but fun) ones.
5 candidates to replace Indianapolis Colts' GM Chris Ballard
Realistic: Ed Dodds
Ed Dodds has been with the organization since 2017. He's familiar with everyone in the building and with the roster. In fact, as assistant general manager, he's at least partly responsible for what's going on right now, though he didn't make the final decisions.
He's the man if the Colts want to keep some sense of continuity. Maybe they'll give him a test run and an opportunity to prove that he's better than his predecessor/boss and earn the full-time gig after the season.
Wild: Andrew Luck
How poetic would it be to see Andrew Luck replace one of the people responsible for his early retirement? He's already kicked off his managerial career with the Stanford Cardinal, so he knows a thing or two about the business.
That said, as much as the fans would welcome him with open arms, his commitment to the Cardinal makes this a bit of a long shot. Luck loves the Colts and vice versa, but he's not the type to bail on his current gig for another one. Maybe after the college football season.
Realistic: Ray Agnew
The Detroit Lions have some serious problems on defense, but they've put together one of the strongest offenses in recent history. Some of that has to do with Ray Agnew, a pivotal part of the Lions' scouting department under Brian Holmes.
He also spent time with the Los Angeles Rams as Director of Pro Scouting and Director of Pro Personnel, helping put together a Super Bowl-caliber roster for head coach Sean McVay. He's due for an opportunity.
Wild: Jeff Saturday
Jeff Saturday left ESPN to try to save his beloved Colts after they fired Frank Reich. He took over as head coach for the final eight games of the season, going 1-7 and blowing the biggest halftime lead in the league in the past three decades.
So, who's to say the Colts won't get him on the phone again? He has no credentials, but then again, he didn't have any to be a head coach, either. This is highly unlikely, but if it does happen, let's just hope he does better as a GM than as an interim coach.
Realistic: Catherine Hickman
Catherine Hickman is a rising star in the front-office business, playing an integral role in the Cleveland Browns' recent roster overhaul. She's been tabbed as a strong candidate to be the first woman GM in the league for a while now.
Irsay-Gordon clearly doesn't care about the naysayers or those who question her leadership approach, so why would she hesitate to give Hickman that job? Of course, it wouldn't be just because of her gender; Hickman was the Philadelphia Eagles' Vice President of Football Operations and has an extensive background in multiple football leagues.
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