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The Indianapolis Colts made two very important decisions on Wednesday. Granted, they still have much to figure out at the quarterback position with Carson Wentz being sidelined due to foot surgery and Jacob Eason battling for first-team reps with rookie Sam Ehlinger until further notice, while also hoping to see the return of All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson sooner than later, but overall, the Colts are a team with a ton of promise, talent and direction. 

The organization can, in large part, thank head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard, and they have, by signing both to a contract extension that keeps them in place through the 2026 season, the team announced on Wednesday.

"In Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, we have as great a general manager -- head coach combination as there is in the NFL, and I can't tell you how proud I am to have them leading our franchise," said team owner Jim Irsay in an official statement. "I truly believe this football team is on the doorstep of great things, and that's because of the culture both have cultivated in their time with the Horseshoe. Whether we are marching toward the playoffs or facing adversity, whether we are building our roster or making a difference in the community, we have the ideal leaders in Chris and Frank."

The news comes not long after Ballard was able to secure three-time All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard to a five-year, $99.25 million deal, a master stroke to keep arguably the best LB in the league in tow beyond 2021. Maybe not so coincidentally, that means Leonard is scheduled to be in a Colts uniform through 2026, marrying him perfectly to the deals signed by Reich and Ballard.

Reich joined the Colts as head coach in 2018, but it's not his first stint with the club. His first shot at coaching came in Indy, when Irsay brought him on as an offensive coaching staff assistant. He'd go on to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers for several other teams before ascending to the role of offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and then Philadelphia Eagles, the latter being where he was tasked with developing Wentz before the two recently reunited in Indy. 

He also won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, albeit with Nick Foles driving the postseason instead of an injured Wentz, but his experience has translated well with the Colts -- leading them to two playoff appearances already, and with three different starting quarterbacks. 

"[Reich] really is a great asset to the franchise because he's a great head coach with his leadership and his whole overall looking at the football program," Irsay said in March. "But in this league, we know we are quarterback-driven and when you have a coach like him who really gives a quarterback the best chance to be great in this league, that is really special and I think that's one of the attributes that I feel make us real Super Bowl contenders is his talent to be able to elevate a quarterback's play to its very highest of levels."

Ballard joined the Colts just one year prior to Reich, taking on the role of GM after spending time as the director of player personnel and then the director of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs. A former coach himself, Ballard's team-building philosophy meshes perfectly with Reich's style and outlook for the Colts, which explains why the two were able to hit the ground running in short order. 

"I really believe that you will see a golden era develop as we go into this decade sitting here in 2021," Irsay added. "I believe it with all my heart and soul. There is good reason to believe it. You talk to people around the league and people that know, they are going to agree with what I'm saying when they look at Chris Ballard and Frank Reich and the expectations going into this decade that we have for both of them leading the team."