INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Carlie Irsay-Gordon liked what she saw during her first 10 games as the Indianapolis Colts’ co-owner.
Quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Jonathan Taylor played at MVP levels, coach Shane Steichen’s offense operated at a historically efficient clip and general manager Chris Ballard pulled the trigger on a midseason trade to fill the team’s most glaring need.
Then Jones tried to play through a fractured lower left leg, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and the season unraveled quickly as a season-ending seven-game losing streak knocked Indy (8-9) out of the playoffs again.
Yet in her most significant move since taking over the franchise’s day-to-day operations from her late father, Jim, Irsay-Gordon ignored the urge — and the calls from some fans — to fire Ballard and Steichen and instead decided to give them another chance to replicate their early season success.
“We have been very clear with Chris and Shane that giving them another opportunity means that the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher,” Irsay-Gordon said. “Chris and Shane are both capable of facing this challenge head on and finding a way to achieve the results our fans deserve, which is winning games, getting to the postseason and ultimately winning championships.”
It might have been easier for Irsay-Gordon to explain if she moved on from Ballard, who has two playoff appearances and one postseason win in his nine-year tenure, or Steichen, who’s 25-26 in three seasons and has never made it to the playoffs. Or perhaps both following the historic second-half collapse.
Indy became the first team since the 1995 Oakland Raiders and just the sixth since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to start 8-2 and not make the postseason.
Irsay-Gordon blames injuries for the second-half failures.
In addition to Jones, the Colts lost two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner for most of the final five games because of a strained calf, 2023 All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward for most of the second half because of two concussions and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for six of the final seven games because of a neck injury. The result: Indy’s skid included four losses by six or fewer points.
And for that reason, Irsay-Gordon didn’t see the need to start over in 2026. She said she made that decision last week.
“What we saw in that first half, we were on a record pace, dominating offensively,” she said. “I think we just have to be able to face adversity better, and I believe in the team. I believe in the team and hope to stay healthier next season.”
Quarterback conundrum
Ballard again finds himself entering an offseason dealing with questions about the sport’s most important position.
Before the injury, Jones was expected to cash in on a comeback season with a big-dollar contract. Instead, he’ll enter free agency for a second straight season dealing with questions about his injury history and how quickly he’ll return to the field — likely decreasing his price tag.
“I’d love to be back here,” Jones said. “I think it’s a great organization and I’ve enjoyed being here. Obviously, there’s a business side to it and I understand that, but I’ve really enjoyed being around these people.”
Steichen and Ballard also must decide what to do with the oft-injured Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, who lost the starting job in training camp and wasn’t even active after mid-October after fracturing the orbital bone near his eye in a bizarre pregame accident.
Paying Pierce
In his first two seasons, receiver Alec Pierce struggled to make a consistent impact. The last two years, he has produced the highest per-catch average among the league’s qualifiers.
Now the soon-to-be free agency is likely to cash in. Pierce had 47 catches, his first 1,000-yard season (1,003) for a 21.3-yard average with six TDs this season while establishing himself as a favorite for three starting quarterbacks — Jones, 44-year-old Philip Rivers and rookie Riley Leonard.
“I guess it’s more like being recruited because you actually have a say in it now,” Pierce said. “It’s ultimately my decision.”
Ward ponders retirement
Ward had three concussions in his first season with Indy, and the second — suffered in a pregame collision with tight end Drew Ogletree — prompted Ward to contemplate retirement.
He might be going through that process again after finishing the season on injured reserve with his third concussion.
“I’ve got to talk to my family,” Ward said. “If I walk away, I feel like I’d be happy. I’d have won a Super Bowl, made a whole lot of money, made the Pro Bowl, made All-Pro. I did everything I wanted to. So I feel like if I walk away, I won’t regret it. I’m good.”
Next steps
Irsay-Gordon made it clear the sense of urgency next year is even higher next season and her comment is likely to resonate throughout the offseason as Ballard contemplates future moves. Steichen said he’ll contemplate what went wrong late in games, late in the season and how he can get the Colts back to the postseason.
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