Fallout From Chris Ballard’s Firing: Steichen, Jones, Trade Possibilities

With Ballard gone after almost a decade at the helm, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds will oversee their personnel department on an interim basis. Head coach Shane Steichen and the rest of his staff will report to ownership, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. Steichen is still in place despite a pedestrian 27-30 record in three-plus years in Indianapolis, but Holder writes that his “seat remains quite hot.”

If the 41-year-old Steichen’s days with the Colts are numbered, the good news for him is that he may not wait long to land on his feet. He “likely” would have been under consideration for head coaching vacancies had the Colts fired him last winter, per Holder, and Albert Breer of SI.com expects him to draw HC interest if he shakes loose during the upcoming offseason.

Despite disappointing results in Indianapolis, Steichen is well-regarded for his work on the Chargers’ offensive staff from 2014-20, including as their coordinator for the last of those seasons, and his performance as the Eagles’ OC from 2021-22. He helped develop Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts into legitimate starters with those teams, but it has been tougher sledding in Indianapolis.

While the Colts took a big swing at a potential franchise passer when they drafted Anthony Richardson third overall in 2023, Steichen’s first year with the team, that move has been a flop. Richardson has totaled just 15 starts (none since 2024) and has been stuck behind Daniel Jones on the depth chart over the past year-plus.

Jones was a success story for Steichen during an 8-2 start in 2025, but the former Giant and Viking broke his fibula and then suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during an injury-ruined second half. The Colts – whose roster was laden with injuries in the second half – lost out and finished 8-9. Nevertheless, Ballard was encouraged enough by what Jones showed when he was healthy to prevent him from leaving in free agency. After the Colts applid the transition tag to Jones, the sides reached a two-year, $88MM agreement in March.

Unfortunately for the Colts, Jones has played more like the quarterback the Giants waived in November 2024 than the one who has scored two big contracts in his career (including a four-year, $160MM extension with New York in 2023). Along with posting career worsts in completion percentage (59.6) and yards per attempt (5.9), Jones has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (four). As one would expect, he ranks near the bottom of the NFL in passer rating (71.1) and EPA per play (minus-0.15).

Jones’ struggles played a key role in Ballard’s departure and may eventually help lead to Steichen’s ouster, but it does not appear the Colts are planning to make a change under center right now. Richardson and third-stringer Riley Leonard, a 2025 sixth-rounder, are their only other in-house options.

“I love Daniel,” Steichen said after the Colts lost to the Titans (link via James Boyd of The Athletic). Steichen added that Jones’ “preparation and how much he cares about the game goes a long way with me.”

While Jones may be safe for the moment, that could change in 2027 the Colts hire an outside GM who has no ties to him. They are likely to go that route, according to Holder. If that’s the case, the next GM could try to trade Jones or release him if a deal doesn’t come together. Trading or releasing Jones before June would save the Colts $11.6MM in cap room next season at the cost of $35.2MM in dead money. Dealing or cutting him from June 2 onward would free up $38MM in spending space in 2027 and leave the team with $8.8MM in dead cap.

The Colts will make a decision on Jones’ future months from now, but at present, Dodds likely has the Nov. 10 trade deadline near the top of his mind. If the Colts sell, Breer lists defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, running back Jonathan Taylor, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Alec Pierce as speculative trade candidates. Moving Buckner, a 32-year-old who will be a free agent in the offseason, would hardly come as shock. On the other hand, trades involving Taylor, Gardner or Pierce – who are all on pricey deals for at least the next couple of years – would represent seismic changes for the Colts.

Ballard sent two first-rounders and receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for Gardner at last November’s deadline. That gamble hasn’t paid off for the Colts, which is among the reasons Ballard is now unemployed. Gardner is under contract through 2030 on the four-year, $120.4MM extension he signed with the Jets in July 2025, and Pierce is in the first season of a four-year, $114MM pact.

Then at risk of losing Pierce in free agency, Ballard fended off other teams to make him one of the league’s highest-paid wideouts. That hasn’t gone well so far, as Pierce has played just two games and chipped in five catches for 72 yards this season. He went on IR with a heel injury after Week 2 and has yet to return to practice. If Pierce is healthy before the deadline, though, perhaps Dodds will consider any offers that may come his way.