It’s that time of the year, Black Monday is near. A day when fans get to find out if their team will make either front office or coaching staff moves. It’s not a fun day for most of these staff, but one that inevitably arrives for all coaches and executives in this league.
It feels like the Indianapolis Colts have had these discussions nearly every year in this decade, and this year is no different. After a blistering 8-2 start, the Colts stumbled to finish the season. They are right back where we were last year, discussing the status of both head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard.
If I had to predict, my best guess would be that the new ownership group led by the daughters of the late Jim Irsay will sever ties with Chris Ballard but keep head coach Shane Steichen. She would then allow the new GM to decide the fate of Steichen and his respective staff.
If the Indianapolis Colts fire Chris Ballard, one of these candidates should replace him
A handful of great candidates emerge every year, and let’s break down a few options that the Colts might look at in the coming weeks.
Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds
I know what you are thinking: Why hire the guy who was Ballard's right-hand man for his tenure in Indianapolis, if that is not working out? It’s a fair question that comes down to respect and fear. He is a well-respected executive in the league and has been nearly hired as a GM in multiple franchises.
The fear aspect is whether the Irsay daughters want him to leave the building and his scouting abilities to go with it. He has been in various league offices since 2003 and has been with the Colts since 2017. A complete opposite of Ballard in personality would bring a similar yet new lead voice to Steichen that the daughters know and trust.
Former Colts exec and LA Chargers GM Tom Telesco
The return of Tom Telesco would be a nostalgic choice. He joined the Colts organization in 1998 as an area scout and worked his way up to VP of Football Operations in 2012, before spending 10 years with the Chargers. While his familiarity with the organization runs deep, I am not sure whether the Irsay daughters will value that when hiring someone.
If the daughters decide to keep Steichen, they now have someone in the building who has worked with him and can properly evaluate whether he should be a part of the organization as we advance. Telesco was the GM during the tenure of both Philip Rivers and Steichen with the Chargers.
Telesco is still relatively young, and while his most recent stint with Las Vegas did not go well, it seemed he was forced out by Tom Brady having a larger position in football operations.
Getting a second chance at a GM is difficult in this league, but a third is nearly incomprehensible. It’s a long shot, but he has too much history with this franchise, Steichen, and the Irsays not to be considered. The only concern is that he is too much like Chris Ballard, as they both had long tenures with losing records.
Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham
The last two candidates have had a connection to the Colts organization. If the daughters decide to sever any association with Ballard, they must consider Ian Cunningham. At this moment, he is the right-hand man to Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles and arguably the hottest candidate on the board for potential GM hires this impending offseason.
While only 40 years old, he is a seasoned football executive who has worked his way up from the very bottom to where he is now. He helped bring in and oversee a new coaching staff that is now thriving in Chicago. The roster construction has been brilliant, and they have not been afraid to make a splash in the draft or with free agency.
Cunningham would be the opposite of what Ballard is. Ballard is known to play it safe and steady, while the youthful Cunningham and Poles have been aggressive and bold. The Bears have been a surprise team this season, and if the Colts really want a change in direction, they will need to pounce this cycle. It’s a near guarantee that Cunningham will be hired as GM in the coming days.