The Indianapolis Colts have a new person leading the team: Carlie Irsay-Gordon. Her position as CEO was a surprise to virtually no one, after her father, Jim Irsay, passed away unexpectedly in May. Irsay-Gordon had been assumed to be his eventual successor, though that day was not expected to come for a long time yet. But with Irsay-Gordon in charge, two people may be less than thrilled about their future.
General manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen were both considered to be on the hot seat after the 2024 season; neither lived up to their expectations, but Ballard has been especially criticized. It's an open secret that 2025 is a make-or-break season for Ballard, Steichen, and quarterback Anthony Richardson. Irsay-Gordon had positive words to say about Richardson, at least, indicating that he still can hope for a future in Indianapolis. But with regards to Steichen and Ballard, she was much less flattering.
Along with her sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, Irsay-Gordon held a press conference about their expectations for the team in 2025. While some expected that the Colts would have a "gap" year, giving the team time to adjust to new ownership, Irsay-Gordon said this idea is "unacceptable," and they expect the team to win now. And to that effect, Steichen and Ballard have both been warned.
"As my dad said before he passed, Chris and Shane know that they have things they need to fix. We talked about not micromanaging people, but also, we have a standard here, and it hasn’t been good enough."Carlie Irsay-Gordon
Irsay's decision to give both Steichen and Ballard another chance was shocking, given their poor performances. And Irsay-Gordon's comments indicate that things are going to be very different now moving forward.
Ballard's seat is likely warmer than Steichen's in this instance. Under his leadership, Ballard has cycled through 12 quarterbacks in less than 10 years, and the Colts haven't won the AFC South in 10 years. Furthermore, they have not been to the playoffs in four years, and haven't won a playoff game in six. If the Colts don't make the playoffs in 2025, and Richardson is not successful, Ballard may be out of chances.
Steichen, while not quite as maligned as Ballard, still faced intense criticism throughout the 2024 season, including signs that he had lost the locker room. His play-calling also left much to be desired, though there is still some hope that he can redeem himself in the future.
And Irsay-Gordon seems to be open to firing one while keeping the other; when asked if Steichen and Ballard are a package deal, she merely responded, “I can’t answer that question right now.” But either way, the writing is on the wall: if the Colts don't succeed this year, heads are almost certainbly going to roll.