Colts Dismiss Chris Ballard and Begin GM Search

The Indianapolis Colts dismissed general manager Chris Ballard on October 19, opening a search for his replacement after a 26-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans left the team with a 2-4 record. Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the in-season change was deliberate and that the organization would conduct a thorough search. Irsay-Gordon said the Colts’ standard was to compete for championships and that a leadership change was necessary to meet it. She said beginning the search immediately would avoid delaying work on finding the right leader, and added that the move did not change the team’s goals for the season. Ballard had been Indianapolis’ general manager since 2017. During his tenure, the Colts reached the playoffs twice and won one postseason game, in 2018. The team’s announcement followed its defeat to Tennessee on October 18. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will oversee personnel operations while the search proceeds, according to reports. The team has not announced a timetable for selecting a permanent replacement. Peyton Manning’s name surfaced as a possible candidate after sports broadcaster Dan Patrick said an unnamed source told him the Colts’ first call would be...