Colts Get Game Manager Taken Away by Ravens

Schefter posted on X: "Ravens are hiring former Colts assistant Charlie Gelman as their Game Manage Coordinator and defensive assistant. Gelman will replace Daniel Stern, who is expected to become the Browns’ associate head coach."

Per Colts.com, "Gelman enters his third season with the Colts as football analyst/game management. He has seven years of coaching experience, including four in the NFL.

Prior to Indianapolis, Gelman served in a variety of roles for the Baltimore Ravens, including football analyst (2022-23), coaching research intern (2021-22) and scouting analytics intern (2019). He was a part of a Ravens staff that reached the playoffs two different times (2019, 2022)."

Gelman's role may not immediately draw attention like a head coach or coordinator do, but his role with Indianapolis was vital to success.

For a football analyst/game manager in the NFL, they advise head coaches in real-time on decisions like timeouts, replay challenges, fourth-down calls, and penalty situations.

In short, Gelman's role is more behind the scenes and overlooked. Given how much the Colts rely on their offensive game plan from Shane Steichen, this is a key piece to the coaching staff.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

The Colts will need to either replace Gelman or do away with the position altogether. While anything is possible, it's hard to imagine that Indianapolis won't hire a new coach for the position, given how much is riding on success this year.

The Colts need all the help they can get, so expect them to either promote a current staffer to the open position, or hire a new name for fresh opinions to help Steichen with game situations.

Steichen is entering a massive fourth year as the head coach of the Colts. Through his three seasons leading Indianapolis, he's compiled a mediocre 25-26 record, along with no divisional championship or playoff appearance.

It's fair to say that the quarterback problems for the Colts have played a key factor in Steichen's record, especially considering his game plan is dependent on solid play from the field general.

However, Steichen has been heralded as a quarterback guru and innovative offensive mind, so he must shoulder at least part of the blame for Indy's underwhelming performances.

Along with Steichen, general manager Chris Ballard's job is also on the line. When team CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon held her end-of-season press conference, she emphasized that the expectations have never been higher for Steichen and Ballard.

This produces the assumption that they'll both be looking for jobs if Indianapolis doesn't take the AFC South and make the postseason for the first time since the 2020 season.

Keep an eye on what the Colts do with Gelman's position now that he heads back to Baltimore and the AFC North.

While his role isn't vibrant, it was important for Indianapolis to achieve success in the upcoming 2026 season.