The first domino fell this week when Chris Ballard was relieved of his duties as general manager for the Indianapolis Colts after nine seasons. Going into the season, Ballard was in the hot seat, and if the Colts missed the playoffs again, his future was likely to be decided next offseason.
Ballard's pink slip came early, and after six games and a record of 2-4, he leaves the Colts with significantly more unanswered questions than anything else, and one of those major questions has to do with head coach Shane Steichen and his future.
Today, Steichen is safe. Three weeks from now could tell a different story unless he can galvanize his team and put some wins on the board. With a challenging slate of games ahead and a lot of unsettlement already spreading through the organization, these next few games could determine what happens after Ballard.
The Indianapolis Colts' next three games don't make anything easier
The Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Dallas Cowboys—these are the Colts' next three opponents. The Vikings and Jaguars present the Colts with two stellar defenses and, at least with the Jaguars, an offence that can run you out of the building. The Cowboys have that potential, but lack the defense.
After a meeting with the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis has its second and final meeting of the season against its AFC South rivals, the Houston Texans. The Colts got the win in their first meeting, but the Texans look like a much different team since then, which makes their next meeting even bigger.
In short, how the Colts fare in the games before a break facing the Dolphins will, or should, determine two key things: which big-name players get traded, and whether Steichen lasts the rest of the season. To avoid either scenario, the Colts can't go 0-3. Even 1-2 would open the door to a large trade haul away or Steichen's job.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes the Colts are more likely than not to become sellers at the NFL trade deadline, saying this week that "rival teams believe Indianapolis will be open for business ahead of the trade deadline."
Right off the bat, names like Jonathan Taylor, Sauce Gardner, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, and Grover Stewart are the likely candidates to be offered up on the trade block for future assets so the Colts can rebuild.
The Colts don't have any resemblance to a contender, or a team that can stave off the Texans, never mind catch up to the Jaguars and compete for the division.
Also, according to Fowler, "If Indy can find a way to steal two wins in that slate, perhaps that affects trade plans. But this iteration of the Colts does not look poised for upsets, so perhaps change is inevitable."
Fowler may be right, no matter what the Colts' front office has said about staying the course after firing Ballard. Today, the Colts have one focus: Minnesota. Unfortunately, there are so many distractions right now; having one collective focus may be harder than it sounds.
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