Why there is so much pressure on Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts
Yahoo Sports Daily hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz discuss why Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts have so much pressure to succeed this NFL season. Watch the full episode of Yahoo Sports Daily on YouTube or YahooSports.TV .
Video Transcript
It's Ballard.
It's absolutely Ballard, and I don't even really think, Fitzy, that it's particularly close.
Let's point out that Chris Ballard has never won the division in his 16 years there.
The AFC South isn't necessarily a gauntlet.
I mean, not winning any division in that span, I, I think is an indictment on him and roster construction, but especially a division that has been won by the Texans, the Jags, and the Titans multiple times in that span.
And oh yeah, by the way, those three teams have also had the number one overall pick in that span.
So the Texans, Titans, and Jags have all been so dreadful since Chris Ballard has been in charge in Indianapolis, but have also won the division.
So I don't blame Colts fans that are kinda looking around and saying, "Well, what about us?
When is our time?
W- if we can't win a bad division, then what's, where's our reason for hope and for optimism?"
So I think the pressure is on Ballard for a few reasons.
He's been there long enough and hasn't won the division, not good enough, that Chris Ballard is the general manager that oversaw the Anthony Richardson pick.
When you take a quarterback with a top five pick and then he turns out to be I mean, look, the story of Anthony Richardson is still being written, but if I had to put a label on him today, that label is bust.
And I don't blame Anthony Richardson for that.
I blame the Colts, and I have always blamed the Colts for that.
I said when Anthony Richardson was drafted that he needed some time to sit and develop and learn the speed of the game, because going into the NFL, he had only made 13 starts in college football.
He needed time.
So I think that the quarterback position is an indictment on Ballard.
I think not winning the division is an indictment on Ballard, and I think the only pressure that Shane Steichen may feel here is the fact that Chris Ballard does have all of that pressure.
And I would assume if the Colts decide to part ways with Chris Ballard, then Shane Steichen would probably be an easy firing after that, just to totally and completely clean house and let the new GM bring his guy in.
