To fire or not to fire that is the question: Predicting the changes the Colts will make in the front office and/or on the coaching staff
The Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from the playoffs after a terrible loss to the New York Giants in Week 17. Which made the stakes at an all-time low for their Week 18 matchup vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nonetheless, they were able to pick up the victory and head into the offseason after an 8-9 season. While it might feel good for […]
The Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from the playoffs after a terrible loss to the New York Giants in Week 17.
Which made the stakes at an all-time low for their Week 18 matchup vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Nonetheless, they were able to pick up the victory and head into the offseason after an 8-9 season. While it might feel good for those in the locker room to go into the offseason with a win, it's time to find out the answer to the question on everyone's mind: Will the team make a major firing?
I thought it was time I shared my thoughts and my official prediction.
Will the Colts fire Chris Ballard?
To start off, it seems fair to begin with the architect of this Colts roster, general manager Chris Ballard. He has now finished eight seasons as the team's GM and has delivered a roster that has only made the playoffs twice and has yet to win an AFC South crown. There's been a group of fans calling for his job for quite some time now, but this season, the group has gotten larger, and the demands for Irsay to fire him have grown to an all-time high. But the question is, will the Colts do it?
Prediction: Fired
I think this is truly a coin flip at this point. Irsay and Ballard's strong relationship has made me skeptical over the years. But the demand for change seems to be at an all-time high, and I ultimately land on Irsay electing to make the change even if it's not what he wants to do.
If they do move on, a couple of candidates that the national media have already floated are Ian Cunningham from the Chicago Bears and in-house candidate Ed Dodds. What I will say is if Ballard is fired, I fully expect the Colts to go through a full hiring process to find the right fit to be their next general manager. And for Jim Irsay, you would have to assume he would operate as if this was the last GM he might hire as the majority owner of the Colts, with many wondering if he will pass the team down to his daughters in the coming years.
Will the Colts fire Shane Steichen?
Shane Steichen finishes his second season as the Colts head coach with a record of 17-17. Fans left year one highly impressed with the job he did to get the team to 9-8. Just one year later, and it almost seems like a complete 180 turn as fans question if he has what it takes to be a head coach in the NFL.
Prediction: Not Fired
It seems like every NFL insider out there believes Steichen will return as the Colts' head coach in 2025, and from what I've gathered, I agree with them. Personally, if the Colts elect to move on from Ballard, I would go with a full reset, but either way, I think his time with the team should be up.
If one of them got to keep their job, I do think it should be Steichen. I don't think one year of underperforming should typically lose you your job, but honestly, Steichen's poor handling of multiple situations in the media has made his seat hot more so than his ability as a coach on the field. I think Steichen and Anthony Richardson are ultimately tied at the hip at this point, and with no reasonable quarterback option in 2025 other than Richardson, my guess is that Steichen will be back in Indianapolis.
Will the Colts fire Gus Bradley?
On top of the team's head coach and GM jobs, they have a decision to make about Gus Bradley's future as their defensive coordinator. After an up-and-down season, Bradley's defense ultimately looks outdated and not a viable option for the Colts to continue utilizing going forward. So if Steichen stays, will he give fans what they want by firing Bradley?
Prediction: Fired
This one was by far my easiest prediction to make. I don't know how you can watch how the Colts' defense played down the stretch, paired with their early season woes, and not make a change here. Bradley had a fantastic career as a defensive coordinator, but I think his time in that role is over in the NFL. I think the Colts will make the change and look to make a drastic identity shift on the defensive side of the ball. This change would also likely mean the end of the road for multiple key players on the defensive side of the ball.
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