Colts announce firing of general manager Chris Ballard after loss to Titans, DeForest Buckner criticism

The Indianapolis Colts are moving on from general manager Chris Ballard. The team announced Monday that Ballard was relieved from his duties.

In a statement, team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the team's standard "is to compete for championships." She added that she believes "a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard."

"I am grateful to Chris for his years of service to the Colts and for everything he poured into this organization. He cared deeply about our team and our community, and we wish Chris and his family all the best. "As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher. Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard. "Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now. We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization. "I also want to be clear: this decision does not change our goals for this season. We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve, and win football games."

"I am grateful to Chris for his years of service to the Colts and for everything he poured into this organization. He cared deeply about our team and our community, and we wish Chris and his family all the best.

"As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher. Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.

"Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now. We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization.

"I also want to be clear: this decision does not change our goals for this season. We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve, and win football games."

The decision comes with the team sitting at 2-4 after six weeks. It also comes after the Colts fell to the previously winless Tennessee Titans in Week 6. After the contest, Colts star DeForest Buckner expressed his frustration with the organization, saying he was "sick and tired of the same song and dance every year."

Ballard has been responsible for that "song and dance" since 2017. While he's experienced some moments of excellence — drafting Shaquille Leonard and Jonathan Taylor and signing Daniel Jones on the cheap in 2025 — he's also experienced some high-profile misses, such as drafting Anthony Richardson, hiring Jeff Saturday, trading a pair of first-round picks for Sauce Gardner and inking Jones to a two-year, $88 million extension ahead of the 2026 season.

Through six games, that extension looks regrettable. Jones has regressed after a promising 2025. This season, he's completed a career-low 59.6 percent of his passes, and has just four touchdowns against six interceptions, two of which came in the team's Week 6 loss.

The trade for Gardner has not only lacked results for Indianapolis on the field — he's yet to record an interception for the Colts and hasn't matched his All-Pro play in New York — it cost the Colts their first-round pick in April and (barring a trade) will mean they won't have a first-round pick in the 2027 draft, either.

The team's next general manager will be tasked with figuring out whether Jones deserves to remain the Colts' starter next season. Even if that answer is yes, finding a long-term quarterback is almost certainly a priority for a team that has been scrambling for stability at the position ever since the surprising retirement of former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck in 2019.