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Colts GM Chris Ballard finds himself in the hot seat as he looks to end a five-year playoff drought. And he’s making it clear that Daniel Jones is the quarterback he’s banking on to get there.
That message came through loud and clear during Ballard’s end-of-season press conference Thursday, when he didn’t mince words about Jones being the potential answer to Indy’s long-standing QB questions.
“I’m looking at him both near and long [term],” Ballard said. “When you’re constantly chasing quarterbacks, your margin for error shrinks dramatically. I feel really good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles. But I think he’s got a really bright future here in Indianapolis.”
The Colts have been on a quarterback carousel that would make most franchises dizzy – they’ve trotted out different Week 1 starters in eight of the last nine seasons. Their 2023 first-rounder, Anthony Richardson Sr., remains a question mark after being benched last season, losing the starting job to Jones in training camp, and then suffering a season-ending orbital fracture in October.
Jones arrived in Indy last spring following six rocky years with the Giants. He quickly showed his value by leading the Colts to an impressive 8-2 start.
Then disaster struck.
The veteran QB tore his right Achilles in December, contributing to the team’s historic collapse – a seven-game losing streak to end what had been a promising season.
Jones will hit free agency this spring, and his injury adds another layer of complexity to contract talks. Ballard acknowledged the obvious: “Of course” the injury will impact negotiations, “but we’ll work through that.”
Coach Shane Steichen has been Jones’ biggest champion at Colts headquarters. Together, they engineered an offense that was on pace to break several franchise records during the season’s first half.
Regarding concerns about Jones’ recovery from such a serious injury, Ballard didn’t shy away from the question.
“It’s a legitimate question. I’m not a doctor and I’m not God in terms of knowing what the future’s going to hold in his healing,” Ballard admitted.
“But the history of guys coming back has been pretty good, and they’ve been older than Daniel,” he added. “He’s 28 years old. He’s a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So I do feel confident he’ll make it back. Will he be the version you saw [in 2025] right away? Maybe not, but he’s still going to be really good.”
This was Ballard’s first media appearance since November’s blockbuster trade for star cornerback Sauce Gardner – a move that’s faced scrutiny following the team’s late-season collapse. The Colts sent two first-round picks and WR Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for the two-time All-Pro, hoping he’d help fuel a playoff run.
Instead, Gardner joined a growing list of injured Colts stars – including Jones, CB Charvarius Ward, and DT DeForest Buckner. Gardner battled a nagging calf injury and played roughly 2½ games worth of snaps for Indy. Despite this, Ballard defended the acquisition.
“I kept asking myself, ‘Would we get this guy in the draft?’ Maybe with some luck. But you’re talking about a premier guy who’s been to Pro Bowls,” Ballard explained.
As for his own job security – which has been questioned given the team’s results – Ballard revealed he had multiple hours-long discussions with owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon this past week. He’ll enter the final year of his contract next season with clear expectations for improvement.
“It starts with me,” Ballard said. “Until we win – until we win big, win a division, go far into the playoffs – there’s going to be doubt. That’s real. I don’t run from that. I don’t shy away from that.”
