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Colts fire Chris Ballard

Sports · Heat 4.6 / 10 · 11 shows · 3h 46m airtime

The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on October 20, 2026, ending a nine-year run with two playoff appearances and one playoff win. The discussion centers on his trade record: passing on Matthew Stafford for two first-rounders, then sending two first-rounders for Sauce Gardner, plus deals for Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan and drafting Anthony Richardson at No. 4. Dan Patrick reported the first call for the GM job is Peyton Manning, with an ownership stake. Carlie Irsay's note puts Shane Steichen on the hot seat, and the assistant general manager was also fired. Ed Dodds is interim GM, the Jets own the Colts' 2027 first-round pick, and with the deadline a week away the debate is whether to trade…

How 11 podcasts covered it

  1. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-19 (0:57 to 5:46)
    Adds a source on Manning and part ownership
    Recaps the Hurts and Ballard news, then adds a source saying the Irsay family may reach out to Peyton Manning about a GM role with part ownership. Also floats Colts trade candidates ahead of the deadline.
    New angle: A source told Dan the Irsay family may reach out to Peyton Manning about a GM role with part ownership.
  2. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-19 (20:33 to 24:28)
    Reads the team statement back at Steichen
    Reaction to the Ballard firing that reads the team's own statement back: the release says the expectation is to go for championships this season, and the segment argues Steichen now has to make the playoffs and win a game to survive. Also floats Daniel Jones as next out.
    New angle: The Colts' statement said the expectation is to go for championships this season.
  3. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-19 (42:49 to 45:24)
    Reads the Irsay-Gordon statement in full
    Reads Carlie Irsay-Gordon's statement in full and draws out the line most coverage skipped: the in-season timing was deliberate so the search could start now. Then runs through Ballard's expensive misses and puts Steichen on a Steve Fisher-style run.
    New angle: The Colts say the in-season firing was deliberate so the GM search could begin now.
  4. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-19 (45:24 to 47:02)
    Argues Steichen needs a run to land a GM
    Argues Steichen has to go on a run for a new GM to accept the job, given no first-round picks, an expensive receiver who did not play and the quarterback situation. Adds Buckner's on-the-record frustration and Pierce's season-ending injury.
    New angle: DeForest Buckner said he is sick and tired of the same song and dance every year.
  5. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-19 (23:44 to 28:31)
    Recaps the firing and the Manning report
    Recaps the Ballard firing and the Titans loss, then spends most of its time on the Dan Patrick report that the Colts' first call is Peyton Manning. The Manning debate is opinion and comparison to John Lynch, not new reporting.
  6. The Ryen Russillo Show, 2026-10-19 (57:05 to 1:01:44)
    Recaps the firing through the roster record
    Recaps the Ballard firing through the roster-building record: the Sauce Gardner price, the Daniel Jones bet on an outlier first half, the Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell receiver churn, and the Jeff Saturday anniversary. Stays inside the case already on the record.
  7. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-19 (0:30 to 6:20)
    Recaps the firing from the fan's seat
    Recaps the Ballard firing from the Colts fan's seat: the decade without an AFC South title, the quarterback churn since Andrew Luck retired, the Alec Pierce and Daniel Jones money, and the home loss to the Titans. Stays inside the firing and its fallout, with trade speculation about Jonathan Taylor, Buckner and Nelson.
  8. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-19 (17:24 to 27:28)
    Recaps the Ballard firing and fallout
    Runs the Ballard firing as the number five storyline, recapping the ten-year tenure, the 2-11 stretch and the quarterback carousel. Speculates about Carlie Irsay running the search and which veterans could be moved before the November deadline, without adding anything new.
  9. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-19 (1:43:34 to 1:52:54)
    Adds cap figures to the Colts rebuild
    Turns to the rebuild after Ballard's firing: Dan Orlovsky argues the Colts should auction their best veterans for picks, and the segment puts cap figures on the record - Daniel Jones at 13.64 percent of the cap, Alec Pierce at 10.26 percent, and the team 29th in next year's dead cap.
    New angle: Daniel Jones takes up 13.64 percent of the Colts' cap and Alec Pierce 10.26 percent; the team ranks 29th in next year's dead cap.
  10. Nightcap, 2026-10-20 (0:25 to 10:24)
    Runs through Ballard's ledger after the firing
    Runs through Ballard's ledger after the firing: the missing 2027 first-rounder, the Stafford trade he declined, the Wentz and Ryan deals, Richardson at No. 4, and the thin draft haul beyond Leonard and Nelson. The back half drifts into a long riff on Phillip Rivers' ten kids and godparent duty.
    New angle: Ballard passed on Stafford for two first-rounders, then sent two first-rounders for Sauce Gardner.
  11. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-20 (3:50 to 20:49)
    Retells the Ballard firing and its causes
    Long segment on the Ballard firing: the 2-4 start, the Titans loss, the family-owned structure that kept him in place, the Richardson miss and the Sauce Gardner overcorrection. A thorough retelling that stays inside the week's coverage.
  12. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-20 (11:54 to 36:26)
    Reacts to Nantz on the Ballard firing
    Jim Nantz, calling in from a Nashville stage, touches the Colts' GM firing between Super Bowl projections and Chiefs praise. He calls Chris Ballard a good man for the city and argues against a fire sale because of Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner. Reaction, not new reporting.
  13. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-20 (1:40:27 to 1:49:17)
    Reacts to Steichen calling the firing the shitty part
    Reacts to the Ballard firing a day later and pushes the story forward: Steichen called it the shitty part of the business, and the hosts argue a midseason GM firing signals a full rebuild with no first-round pick to work with. Manning's alleged call is treated as a pipe dream.
    New angle: Shane Steichen called the Ballard firing the shitty part of the business.
  14. PTI, 2026-10-20 (13:27 to 14:26)
    Frames the firing around the Colts' standard
    Jeff Saturday reacts to Ballard's firing, framing it around the standard the Colts failed to meet: two playoff trips and one playoff win in a decade. He flags the Daniel Jones extension and the Sauce Gardner trade as the work ahead, all ground the week's coverage already covered.
  15. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-20 (1:15:46 to 1:19:24)
    Relays Manning as Colts' first GM call
    Turns to the Colts firing Chris Ballard after the Titans loss and relays Dan Patrick's report that Peyton Manning is the first call for the GM job with an ownership stake. Weighs whether Manning would take it and notes the two first-round picks sent for Sauce Gardner.
    New angle: Dan Patrick reported the Colts' first call for the GM job is Peyton Manning, with an ownership stake.
  16. Pardon My Take, 2026-10-21 (1:04:49 to 1:06:02)
    Reads Steichen as on the hot seat
    Brief reaction to Ballard's firing, framing it as a fresh start for Colts fans and noting the Luck retirement bought him years. Adds a read on the note from ownership: Steichen is on the hot seat.
    New angle: Carlie Irsay's note puts Shane Steichen on the hot seat.
  17. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-21 (25:10 to 35:27)
    Argues the Ballard firing had to come early
    Watt and the hosts work through the Ballard firing and the rebuild it forces: the assistant GM now holds the trade deadline, and Watt argues the move had to come early so the interim isn't making decisions to cover himself. Adds that the Colts also fired the assistant GM and signed Thomas Morstead.
    New angle: The Colts also fired the assistant general manager, who now runs the trade deadline.
  18. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-21 (2:39:42 to 2:42:09)
    Speculates Dodds now runs Colts personnel
    Turns to the Colts' post-firing housekeeping: the Morstead signing and the assumption that assistant GM Ed Dodds is now making the personnel calls, with Ballard's office changing hands. Speculation about Dodds' promotion, but the signings are on the record.
    New angle: The Colts signed punter Thomas Morstead, who will wear number four, and wide receiver Nicole Hardman Jr.
  19. The Bill Simmons Podcast, 2026-10-23 (26:59 to 29:02)
    Names Indianapolis the team to watch at the deadline
    Pelissero names Indianapolis the team to watch at the deadline, laying out the path: two road games at Minnesota and Jacksonville, then a sell market if they fall to 2-6. He lists Nelson, Buckner and Taylor as candidates and notes the Jets hold the 2027 first.
    New angle: The Jets own the Colts' 2027 first-round pick from the Sauce Gardner trade.
  20. The Bill Simmons Podcast, 2026-10-23 (29:02 to 33:34)
    Retells Ballard's decade of quarterback carousel
    Retells Ballard's decade in Indianapolis: the Luck retirement, the quarterback carousel through Brissett, Wentz, Ryan and Richardson, and the 45-minute press conference after Josh McDaniels backed out. Stays inside the record already built on the firing.
  21. Pardon My Take, 2026-10-23 (1:07:40 to 1:14:24)
    Names Dodds the interim GM and deadline trader
    Previews Colts-Vikings and spends most of its time on Ed Dodds as interim GM, joking about what the job allows. It puts on the record that Dodds, not the fired assistant GM, now holds the interim title and may handle deadline trades.
    New angle: Ed Dodds is the Colts' interim GM and may handle trade deadline moves.
  22. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (15:54 to 23:36)
    Debates the owner taking sideline notes
    Debates Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon taking notes on the sideline, weighing hands-on owners like Jerry Jones and Jimmy Haslam against hands-off ones like Stephen Ross. Notes she fired Chris Ballard this week and may not be done, but stays inside reaction and opinion.
  23. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (30:15 to 34:28)
    Turns the Ballard firing into a Vikings pick
    Turns the Ballard firing into a Week 7 pick: Colts players spent the week answering trade questions, Steichen looks destined to be fired, and Middlekauff expects a lopsided loss in Minnesota if the Vikings lead early.
  24. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (17:35 to 21:48)
    Lays out the Colts' post-firing trade plan
    Rapoport lays out the Colts' post-firing plan: a couple more games before the November 9 deadline decides whether they sell, with Quenton Nelson, Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner as the assets, and the GM hire sequenced after the head coach call.
    New angle: The Colts will decide whether to trade players after a couple more games, with the GM hire following the head coach decision.
  25. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-24 (0:24 to 13:09)
    Argues Manning is too comfortable for the Colts job
    Reacts to the Ballard firing and the Manning report, arguing Manning's business and life are too good for the job and the Colts should run a full search. Adds a concrete read on Steichen's future and a detail on Ballard's contract year.
    New angle: Middlecoff says Steichen will not coach the Colts in 2027; Ballard was in the final year of his deal.
  26. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-24 (33:02 to 37:13)
    Turns the Ballard firing into a Colts quit watch
    Middlecoff turns the Ballard firing into a Week 7 pick: the Colts are on quit watch, every player spent the week answering trade questions, and a Minnesota early lead could crack the locker room. Prediction and reaction, not new reporting.
  27. Nightcap, 2026-10-26 (25:17 to 36:23)
    Argues the Colts should sell before the deadline
    Turns to the Colts' 2-5 start and argues they should sell before the deadline, naming Quentin Nelson and DeForest Buckner as the veterans to move and floating Reggie Wayne as the next head coach. The trade-deadline timing is the one new piece; the rest is the Ballard trade record retold.
    New angle: The trade deadline is a week from Tuesday, and Nelson and Buckner are the names floated as sellers' assets.
  28. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-26 (51:01 to 1:08:08)
    Doubts the Colts get a first for Taylor
    Schefter puts a number on the Colts' deadline: Jonathan Taylor is the closest comp to the McCaffrey package, and he does not think Indianapolis gets a first for him, though the team would not move him for less. He also lays out the two-game window at Jacksonville and home to Dallas that decides whether Nelson and Buckner get shopped.
    New angle: Schefter does not think the Colts can get a first-round pick for Jonathan Taylor.
  29. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-26 (1:43:38 to 1:49:06)
    Puts Orlovsky in the GM chair for the Colts
    Orlovsky puts on a GM cap for the post-Ballard Colts: Buckner, Nelson and Taylor should all be on the trade block, and he would start Anthony Richardson now because the Daniel Jones money is sunk. The trade-market read is the new part; the Jones contract and the missing first-rounder are already on the record.
    New angle: Orlovsky would trade Buckner, Nelson and Taylor, and start Anthony Richardson now.
  30. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-26 (2:34:52 to 2:37:03)
    Recaps the Colts mess and Dodds' sideline look
    Reads a listener's overreaction about the Colts' mess and spends most of it on Ed Dodds' sweats and brown bag on the Minnesota sideline. The substance is a recap of the loss and Schefter's earlier point about the trade market.
  31. The Dan Le Batard Show, 2026-10-28 (13:34 to 16:32)
    Recaps the Colts teardown after an 8-1 start
    Recaps the Colts' collapse from an 8-1 start to a teardown: Ballard fired, Nelson and Buckner on the way out, Taylor in trade talks. Frames the Sauce Gardner deal as a win-now move made at 8-1 and stays inside the week's coverage.
  32. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-29 (26:30 to 31:40)
    Presses the contradiction in firing Ballard
    Weighs the Colts' fire sale and names Josh Downs and Grover Stewart alongside Jonathan Taylor as trade candidates, then presses the contradiction of firing Ballard while keeping Steichen to evaluate a stripped roster. Adds contract detail on Taylor and Stewart.
    New angle: Josh Downs and Grover Stewart are on expiring deals; Taylor is signed through 2028 with a non-guaranteed $15 million base next year.
  33. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-29 (1:11 to 9:57)
    Argues the Colts GM job is among the worst
    Middlekauff argues the Colts GM opening is one of the league's worst jobs, weighing the Nelson and Buckner returns, the missing first-rounder, Daniel Jones' dead cap and the owner against the Jets' three top-12 picks. Opinion built on the week's reporting, not new ground.
Unpacking...