Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard is firmly on the hot seat following the team’s 0-2 start to the season. It seems he has been on this figurative seat for years at this point.
That is because the team has not won a playoff game since the 2018 season, Ballard’s second in charge. Andrew Luck retired the following summer and the Colts have been in a weird spot as a franchise ever since.
One former NFL lineman is confused as to how the GM still has his job.
Chris Ballard Called Out by Former NFL Lineman
Geoff Schwartz spent nearly a decade in the NFL and now works as an analyst. He responded to a post on X discussing Ballard’s job security and was left baffled as to how it’s still a conversation.
“Colts haven’t been to the playoffs since the COVID year,” he wrote. “I don’t know how he’s still got a job.”
That is a question many Colts fans have as well. It has not all been bad for the GM. He began his tenure drafting two stars in Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard. He also brought Jonathan Taylor to Indianapolis.
But then there is the selection of Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. He also sent two first-round picks to the New York Jets for Sauce Gardner and the team ended up missing the playoffs in 2025 after the trade.
He is not the one playing the games, but those he has signed to do so just aren’t getting it done.
Colts Facing Must-Win Game in Week 3
The 0-2 Colts are facing the 0-2 Houston Texans on Sunday as both teams look to avoid falling into the basement of the AFC South division.
A loss to fall to 0-3 wouldn’t doom the Colts’ season, as the entire division looks rather weak in 2026. But it would only raise the question of how long the team can go on with Ballard choosing the roster if the losing continues.
The team’s last playoff appearance came in the 2020 COVID season. The Colts lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. That was followed by a 9-8 season in 2021 and a disaster 4-12-1 finish in 2022 that saw Jeff Saturday coach eight games.
Shane Steichen has been the head coach since 2023 and has managed to go 25-28 thus far. Last year appeared promising before Daniel Jones went down in December, leading the team to sign Philip Rivers out of retirement. The move did not pay off and the Colts missed the postseason once again.
The Colts have been too good to land a top pick but not good enough to reach the postseason. Ownership making a change seems like the obvious move if that remains true in 2026.
Former Lineman Baffled by Colts GM Chris Ballard’s Job Security