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Stephen Holder
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts general manager Chris Ballard is on the clock if owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon is to be believed. Now, as he plots his next moves to get Indianapolis back to the playoffs and end a five-year drought, he plans to lean heavily on quarterback Daniel Jones to get them there.
That was one of the clear takeaways from Ballard’s season-ending news conference Thursday, when he said the franchise strongly believes Jones can be the possible answer to its franchise quarterback void.
«I’m looking at him both near and long [term],» Ballard said of Jones, adding, «When you’re chasing the quarterback all the time, it makes it very hard. Your margin for error really shrinks down. And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles. But I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis.»
The Colts have been on a lengthy search for quarterback stability, fielding a different Week 1 quarterback in eight of the past nine seasons. Their 2023 first-round pick, Anthony Richardson Sr., faces an uncertain future after being benched temporarily last season, losing a preseason position battle with Jones in 2025 and suffering what would be a season-ending orbital fracture in October.
Jones joined the Colts last spring after an embattled six-year stint with the New York Giants and led them to an 8-2 start. But he sustained a torn right Achilles tendon in December, an injury that helped quicken the team’s historic collapse with a season-ending seven-game losing streak.
Jones’ injury is not the only variable, as he will be a free agent in the spring. The injury could complicate negotiations, but Ballard said he isn’t concerned.
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«Of course» it will have an impact, Ballard said of the injury, «but we’ll work through that.»
Ballard’s strong advocacy echoes the stance of coach Shane Steichen, who is perhaps the loudest voice at Colts headquarters on the merits of keeping Jones in the building. Together, Steichen and Jones helped generate historic offensive production in the first half of the season, when the Colts were on pace to shatter several franchise records.
As for the wisdom of relying heavily on Jones given his serious injury, Ballard said, «It’s a legitimate question. And you never know. I’m not a doctor and I’m not God in terms of knowing what the future’s going to hold in his healing.»
«The history of guys coming back has been pretty good, and they’ve been older than Daniel,» Ballard added. «Daniel’s 28 years old. He’s a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So I do feel confident he will 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.»
Ballard’s news conference was his first since the Colts traded for star cornerback Sauce Gardner in November, a deal that has been questioned in the months since given the way the season ended. Ballard sent two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for Gardner, a two-time first-team All-Pro, with the idea that he could be an additional piece for a deep playoff push.
But Gardner joined Jones, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and other key players in suffering late-season injuries. Gardner struggled with a calf injury, effectively playing 2½ games’ worth of snaps for the Colts, but Ballard defended the chance to add a 25-year-old top-tier cornerback.
«I kept asking myself, ‘Look, would we get this guy in the draft?’ Well, maybe we get a little luck. But you’re talking about a premier guy who’s been at Pro Bowls,» Ballard said.
As for his own future, which was in question given the team’s results, Ballard said he had multiple hourslong discussions with Irsay-Gordon in the past week that probed how he planned to move forward. He will be in the final year of contract next season and is on notice that improvement is expected.
«It starts with me,» Ballard said. «And until we win — until we win big, win a division, go far into playoffs — there’s going to be doubt. That’s real. I don’t run away from that. I don’t shy away from that.»
