Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay gave another vote of confidence for general manager Chris Ballard, telling ESPN that the latter will remain in his role for the upcoming offseason.
In what has been a tumultuous season for the Colts, Irsay has been right at the center of it. His impulsive decision to fire former head coach Frank Reich, essentially making him the scapegoat, is among the biggest decisions Irsay has made with his team.
With so many wondering if Ballard will be back for his seventh offseason as general manager, Irsay said in the interview with ESPN that he would.
“Chris Ballard will be our general manager,” Irsay said.
This certainly will be a do-or-die offseason for Ballard. As much blame as Reich deserved for the offense’s collapse this season, Ballard may be responsible for a bigger role in the team’s decline.
He’s the one who put the roster together. He’s constantly talked about building through the trenches only to see the Colts sport arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL.
His reluctance to go after a young quarterback with high draft capital in the NFL draft may ultimately be his downfall. The constant cycle of retread quarterbacks can only kick the can down the road for so long.
Ballard will need to make some adjustments to his philosophy this offseason if he wants to stick around, but it seems he’ll get at least one more shot to prove his worth.
Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)