Changes are coming. No one is just quite sure how sweeping those changes will be when the dust settles in Indianapolis.
The Colts have entered the last several seasons with plenty of hope for playoff contention only to see those hopes slip away time and again. Ever since Andrew Luck's shocking retirement from the game, the Colts have been searching for answers even with a talented roster, but the inability to hit on the most important position has plagued this franchise in Chris Ballard's eight-year tenure.
After losing to the New York Giants on Sunday in Week 17, the Colts found themselves once again officially ousted from postseason play. And it was enough to start the rumor mill about potential turnover in the leadership ranks in Indy for Ballard, head coach Shane Steichen, and others.
The most recent report from ESPN's Stephen Holder features a look inside the crumbling shell of a franchise at the end of another frustrating season. Key players are aging and younger players aren't developing (e.g. Anthony Richardson).
"As for the architect of the roster, general manager Chris Ballard, he's finishing up his eighth season, and numerous league insiders wonder what the future holds for him. His teams have yet to win a division title and have managed just one postseason victory -- in 2018, with Andrew Luck at quarterback."
It's quite possible that Ballard is retained and Steichen is fired. It's also possible that Ballard is shown the door, in which case a return to K.C. might be in the cards.
Before Ballard was handed the Colts GM role, he was an exec alongside Chiefs general manager John Dorsey from 2013 to 2017. He was director of player personnel for the Chiefs and then director of football operations in K.C. before being hired by Jim Irsay to run the Colts.
For all of the criticism levied against him, Ballard has a nice assortment of draft hits at which to point and procure a new job. From the trade for DeForest Buckner to the selections of Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, Grover Stewart, MIchael Pittman, and more.
In an offseason where the Chiefs could lose the likes of Mike Borgonzi or Mike Bradway or others, adding Ballard's experience and perspective to Brett Veach's front office could be a major boon.