5 Colts Players Most Impacted by Chris Ballard Firing

Monday morning, the Indianapolis Colts made a long-overdue change at the top of the organization, firing general manager Chris Ballard after nearly a decade on the job. The decision marks the end of an era in Indianapolis and opens the door for a new voice to reshape the franchise's future.

Ballard may not be the only major departure this season. Head coach Shane Steichen's job is far from safe, while the upcoming trade deadline and a new-look front office could put several veteran players' futures in question.

Longtime assistant general manager Ed Dodds has been tasked with serving as interim general manager for the remainder of the 2026 season, leading the team's personnel department, while Steichen and non-personnel staff will report to ownership.

With the Colts entering a period of uncertainty, here are five players whose futures could be most affected by Ballard's departure.

Daniel Jones

When Ballard decided to bring Daniel Jones back on a two-year, $88 million contract extension, he essentially put his own fate in the quarterback’s hands.

Jones has looked nothing like the player the Colts had before his Achilles injury, and it's not all on him, but with Ballard already out of the picture, the quarterback's days in Indianapolis feel numbered.

The next general manager will inherit Jones’ contract and have to decide whether he is still the right man to lead the franchise. Either way, his status as the Colts’ long-term starter is in serious doubt.

Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor has established himself as the centerpiece of the Colts' rushing attack, but a change in the front office could eventually influence how Indianapolis approaches his future. 

Taylor signed a two-year extension in August, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season and making him one of the NFL's highest-paid running backs. The new general manager will inherit that commitment while determining how best to build around the team's offensive stars.

If Indianapolis believes it can remain competitive with its current core, Taylor should continue to play a major role. But if the new regime takes a different approach to roster construction, it will have to weigh the value of keeping a high-paid running back against other needs. 

Taylor isn't necessarily on the way out, but his future is one worth watching as the Colts enter a new era. Especially if playoff contenders come calling at the deadline.

DeForest Buckner

DeForest Buckner was one of the most frustrated players after the embarrassing 26-20 loss to the then-winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday, vocalizing his exhaustion with the organization’s continued malpractice. 

“I’m sick and tired of the same song and dance every year.”

It’s clear that a change of scenery is what’s best for Buckner. After fighting so hard to return from a scary neck injury ,only to continue the same story as the last ten seasons, he’s worked too hard to spend what remains of his prime on an uncompetitive roster. 

San Francisco has been thrown out as a popular trade destination for Buckner. Of course, the Colts acquired Buckner from the 49ers in 2020, so a return back to the Bay to join the currently unbeaten 49ers on a Super Bowl run would make a ton of sense for Buckner. 

If San Francisco general manager John Lynch is interested, I don’t think it would take very long for a deal to come together. 

Anthony Richardson Sr.

At then-owner Jim Irsay’s insistence, Ballard took a big swing for the fences by drafting an unproven and inexperienced Anrthony Richardson Sr. with the 4th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The idea was that Richardson would be the franchise quarterback Indianapolis had been missing since Andrew Luck. 

Wrong. 

Richardson’s story in Indianapolis is a long one with many twists and turns. I’ll spare you the details and get to the point: the organization failed Richardson so badly that his NFL future is now up in the air. 

The fourth-year quarterback didn't hold up his end of the bargain either; however, as Vikings' head coach Kevin O'Connell so famously said, "I believe organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations."

Indianapolis declined Richardson’s fifth-year option, meaning he’ll be a free agent following this season. Depending on the new general manager’s opinion on him, the 24-year-old could be searching for a new home this spring. 

But if he thinks that Richardson is the future of the franchise or at least a viable backup, then the Colts could absolutely bring him back. 

Simply put, Richardson’s future is now in the hands of Ballard's successor. Whoever that may be. 

Sauce Gardner

When Chris Ballard traded two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to acquire Sauce Gardner, he made one of the biggest bets of his tenure as Colts general manager.

The move brought a two-time All-Pro cornerback to Indianapolis, but it also cost the franchise valuable draft capital that could have helped address other roster needs.

It was one of the moves that ultimately sent him packing. 

Now that Ballard is gone, the next general manager will inherit the responsibility of making that investment worthwhile.

Gardner remains a cornerstone of the defense, but the new regime will have to determine how to build around him and whether the rest of the roster is good enough to capitalize on his presence. They may think moving on is in both parties’ best interests.

The Colts' cornerback tweaked his calf against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6 and is now week-to-week, so don't be surprised if Indianapolis shuts him down through the trade deadline as they look to recoup as many assets as possible for the future.

With Indianapolis already sacrificing its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, the pressure to get the most out of Gardner will only grow. It may be worth biting the bullet and taking whatever you can get just to move the next era forward.