Just eight days after Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Ryan Grigson, he has named Chris Ballard the new general manager. The Colts announced the hiring Sunday evening. Ballard arrives from Kansas City, where he spent four seasons molding the Chiefs into one of the league's most consistent teams, including back-to-back playoff appearances and a division title this season. He was hired by Chiefs general manager John Dorsey in 2013 as the director of player personnel. Two years later, he was promoted to director of football operations.
Ballard's successes didn't go unnoticed; he was a popular candidate this offseason with the Bears, Titans and 49ers also showing interest.
Meanwhile, Chuck Pagano, like Grigson, came to Indianapolis in 2011, and he remains the head coach. For how long is another matter. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported Saturday that should Ballard land the job, Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub would be his preference to lead the Colts. But there are qualifications to bringing Toub to Indy:
La Canfora notes that a Toub-Ballard reunion could come in 2018.
If Ballard has another strong meeting with Jim Irsay, as expected, I don't see his having to work w/ Chuck Pagano as a deal-breaker at all
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 29, 2017
For now, Ballard joins an organization with a franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck, but questions remain along the offensive line and on one of the league's worst defenses.
"Chris is a good example of a guy who's a team player," Chiefs president Mark Donovan said earlier this month, via the Kansas City Star. "You look at our entire organization, you look at everybody across the board on the football side, ops side, coaching side, players and I'd like to say business side as well -- we're all in this together. Chris is one of those guys."
Ballard doesn't sound anything like Grigson, which if we're to believe Colts punter Pat McAfee, is great news for the organization.
