With the Indianapolis Colts 2023 season officially in the books, it's time to look to the offseason. 

To kick it off, GM Chris Ballard held his end-of-season press conference, where he answered all the media's questions. 

Ballard spoke very candidly, and there were multiple notable things to take away. 

To see all of the notable quotes from Ballard's presser check out my thread below. 

I'll be dropping all the important information gathered from Chris Ballard's end of season presser in a thread below this tweet.

Drop a RT and a like to make sure everyone in #Colts Nation sees it ?.

?⬇️ #ForTheShoe

— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) January 11, 2024

3 biggest takeaways: 

1. Gus Bradley to return in 2024

The number one most asked question since the Colts season ended has been whether or not they would be making a change at their defensive coordinator position or if Gus Bradley would be back in 2024. And Ballard left no question on the topic, as he confirmed that Bradley is under contract for 2024 and expects him back with the team. 

Chris Ballard said that he expects Gus Bradley back as defensive coordinator. He is currently under contract.

— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) January 11, 2024

Even if Bradley has the confidence of Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, he still needs to improve in 2024. Making sure to adapt in game and adjust the game plan accordingly will be important to watch with Bradley next season. Only time will tell if this was the correct decision for the Colts. 

2. The Colts will do everything they can to keep Michael Pittman Jr. 

This shouldn't surprise anyone, but the Colts want their star WR Michael Pittman Jr. back in 2024. Ballard spoke very highly of Pittman Jr., who is entering 2024 as a free agent. The Colts, of course, will look to extend Pittman Jr. to keep him in Indianapolis for the long haul, but if that doesn't work, the question was asked: would they use the franchise tag? And while he shared that they'd prefer not to use it, he acknowledged that "it is a tool, and if we have to use it, we will." 

#Colts GM Chris Ballard called the franchise tag "a tool" and said he has no fear of the ramifications of it. He doesn't want to use it, but he's not afraid to use it.

Obviously, the player it could most notably be used on is WR Michael Pittman Jr.

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 11, 2024

3. Having Anthony Richardson on a rookie contract changes things

The Colts haven't been known to be big spenders during free agency with Chris Ballard as their general manager. But it is important to note that he really hasn't had a stable QB on the roster to trust and truly look to build around during his time since the retirement of Andrew Luck. And while they didn't get to see much of rookie Anthony Richardson, Ballard was very clear with how much he and the team trust and believe in him. Ballard was asked if having a rookie QB contract changes how they will operate, and he had an eye-opening answer. 

"It opens the world up a little bit more financially." 

– Colts GM Chris Ballard

Only time will tell if they will take a swing and land a big fish on the free agency market. But his acknowledging the advantage they have with a rookie QB contract is a good sign for things in the future. We've seen multiple teams in the NFL use their rookie contract QB window to optimize their roster, and now it should be the Colts turn to do so. 

Indianapolis Colts waive suspended player

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