All the important things Chris Ballard said about Colts during his busy combine week

Praise for Shane Steichen

One aspect that really stood out when Ballard spoke was his singular praise of Shane Steichen and the growth and improvement, he saw week by week from the head coach. He praised his in-game problem solving and moving from a coordinator to a head coach. He hopes the continuity of the staff will only improve Steichen as a head coach. Unlike their last cycle with Frank Reich, it appears that Ballard (so far) has the right coach in place to make this team successful now and in the future.

Jim Irsay and roster injury updates

Ballard did give some insight into the health of Colts owner Jim Irsay, stating that they are in communication with each other and that they had a long 30-minute conversation the night before Ballard took the podium.

As for the players, Ballard discussed the importance of staying patient with Anthony Richardson as they must make sure his shoulder can heal properly. He does not want Richardson to go down the same path as Andrew Luck, who we all know retired early due to injury. He also mentioned that Jonathan Taylor will be healthy for offseason workouts and that Braden Smith had a procedure on his knee to repair it. No word was given on an update or progress with tight end Jelani Woods after missing the entire season with a hamstring injury.

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