The Indianapolis Colts' community was starting to get used to the aggressively average record the Colts have had in the last nearly decade since Andrew Luck suddenly retired. A large criticism of the Chris Ballard-managed Colts has been their lack of free agency moves.
As someone who believes Chris Ballard has received a lot of negative press regarding his management of the roster, I hopped on the horse titled “fire Chris Ballard if we miss the playoffs in 2025.”
Chris Ballard helped build the Chiefs and is one of the orchestrators of the Chiefs' dynasty by bringing in Alex Smith and drafting players like Dwayne Bowe. He inherited a team that had a franchise quarterback who struggled due to the lack of protection he received.
Indianapolis Colts' Chris Ballard took a different approach this offseason
In his first draft in 2017 as the General Manager, he picked Malik Hooker, Grover Stewart, Anthony Walker, and Marlon Mack, all of whom would make an immediate impact on the team.
This offseason, however, Ballard took a different approach and went after better talent in free agency. Largely finding veterans past their prime in mentor and back up roles, the Colts had been silent in free agency in the Ballard era.
Last season, with his seat growing hotter and hotter, even admitting he needed to take a different approach in the postseason wrap-up interview, he made a splash in free agency.
The biggest hole on the team for the past few seasons has been the young secondary and the lack of depth on the offensive line. When Braden Smith was injured last season, the offensive line struggled, in particular against deep defensive lines like the Texans and Titans.
Pair this with a quarterback like Joe Flacco, who didn't seem comfortable behind a struggling offensive line; defensive lines created a ton of pressure.
Since the best offensive linemen in free agency were largely IOL instead of tackles, Chris Ballard chose to bolster the secondary with Xavien Howard and Camryn Bynum at corner and safety, respectively.
The Dolphins had recently released Howard due to his large cap hit and lingering foot issues, but after four games, he chose to retire. He was playing exceedingly poorly.
Indianapolis' young secondary was picked apart all of 2023 and 2024 as rookie and second-year players gave up big plays in tough situations. The secondary was so bad, many fans begged the offense not to score more than 14 points, so the opposing team wouldn't resort to passing the ball late in the fourth quarter.
So far this season, the Colts' defense has been making stops in key situations, with Bynum being a key factor on those stops. Having a safety who is an excellent tackler is key in a proficient defensive system. Players like Ed Reed, Earl Thomas, and Brian Dawkins made their defenses difficult to decipher, a massive edge on the opposing offense.
This year, the free agency signings have made a massive impact on the success of the team. But the Colts must make the playoffs and win the AFC South for Chris Ballard to be considered the GM for the next few years. After Jim Irsay's death, his daughters are now in control of the team, and they may want a fresh start.
But could they justify firing the GM and head coach after a 12-5 season where they won the AFC South?
While the season is still young, the Colts have proven they need to be discussed as a playoff team instead of an also-ran in 2025.