Colts owner Jim Irsay made it clear Sunday night that he is sticking with general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen for the 2025 season, despite growing frustration among fans and a lack of tangible results during Ballard’s eight-year tenure.
Hours after Indianapolis finished an uninspiring 8-9 season with a 26-23 overtime win against Jacksonville, Irsay issued a lengthy statement doubling down on his faith in Ballard and Steichen, despite calls from the fan base for sweeping changes at the top of the organization.
“I’ve been evaluating our entire operation, and I believe in Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen and our collective ability to make the improvements needed to take us to the next level in 2025,” Irsay wrote in a statement posted to his X account.
That confidence, however, is not shared by a fan base that hasn’t seen the Colts in the playoffs since 2020 and hasn’t celebrated an AFC South title since 2014. Once the dominant force in the division under Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, Indianapolis has spent the past decade lagging behind its AFC South rivals. Every other team in the division has won a title since the Colts’ last crown, leaving Indianapolis fans increasingly disillusioned with Ballard’s track record.
Under Ballard’s leadership, the Colts are a pedestrian 62-69-1 with just one playoff win in eight seasons. Ballard has cycled through four head coaches in that span, and while Steichen was only hired two years ago, many fans see his early tenure as uninspiring, tied to a lackluster quarterback situation and Ballard’s inability to construct a consistently competitive roster.
Irsay’s decision to retain both Ballard and Steichen seems to hinge on the development of quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Richardson has struggled to stay healthy, missing 17 games over his first two seasons, and his on-field production—just 50.6 percent completion percentage and a 67.8 quarterback rating—has done little to inspire confidence.
By keeping Ballard and Steichen, Irsay appears committed to continuity for Richardson, but critics argue that continuity has only led to mediocrity.
“There’s a high standard in this city for our team and anyone who steps on the field wearing the Horseshoe,” Irsay said in his statement. “The expectation is to win our division and compete for championships. Just being on the doorstep of the playoffs is not the standard I expect, nor what you deserve.”
Yet under Ballard, the Colts have rarely been more than playoff hopefuls, finishing painfully close but ultimately falling short in 2021 and 2023. Fans have grown tired of being “on the doorstep,” as the franchise seems unwilling—or unable—to take the next step.
Many also question Irsay’s judgment, citing his tendency to make piecemeal changes instead of fully resetting the organization. While Irsay insists on lofty goals like multiple Super Bowls in a single decade, his decisions—including retaining Ballard despite years of mediocrity—undermine those aspirations.
Critics argue that retaining the current leadership is not about faith in their abilities but about delaying the inevitable. A new general manager would inherit Steichen and Richardson, creating an awkward timeline. By sticking with Ballard for now, Irsay seems to be setting the stage for a complete overhaul—GM, head coach, and quarterback—if the Colts fail again in 2025.
For a franchise that once prided itself on excellence, the decision to continue down a path of mediocrity feels like a betrayal of its fan base. If 2025 ends like so many seasons before it, Irsay’s unwavering optimism may finally run out, and with it, the patience of a once-loyal fan base.
