INDIANAPOLIS — Chris Ballard was asked directly Wednesday whether he views himself as being on the hot seat heading into his eighth season as the Indianapolis Colts general manager.
“I think every year you do,” he said. “I mean, that’s kind of how I’m wired. But no, (it’s) no different than any other year.”
As the Colts prepare for the Sept. 8 opener against the Houston Texans, there’s a relative sense of confidence around the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
Indianapolis was 15 yards shy of an AFC South title and a playoff home game last season. But an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1 sealed a 23-19 loss against the Texans and left the franchise sitting out for the third straight postseason.
Ballard chose to largely bring back the same roster for 2024.
The only major additions came through the draft, with defensive end Laiatu Latu and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell arriving in the first two rounds. Both are expected to play significant roles in Year 1.
The only other notable newcomers to the roster are defensive tackle Raekwon Davis and quarterback Joe Flacco, who were signed in free agency this spring and are slated as backups, and defensive back Samuel Womack III — who was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday and has spent the bulk of his career playing on special teams.
It’s a run-it-back philosophy from a general manager whose system has always been predicated on drafting well and developing talent from within.
This season might test that philosophy like no other.
The difference in the Colts making the playoffs for the first time since 2020 — and perhaps winning the division for the first time since 2014 — very well could come down to the performance of a handful of young home-grown players in key positions.
It all starts, of course, with 22-year-old quarterback Anthony Richardson — who will make just his fifth career start in the season opener against the Texans.
Ballard reiterated his confidence in the signal caller and his belief experience is the biggest obstacle remaining to be cleared.
“The more he plays, the more he sees, the better it’s going to get,” Ballard said. “… But (he’s grown with) just his understanding of the offense and what he likes. That’s a big point of this now. You want the quarterback to have some belief in what he’s running and be a little more opinionated about, ‘Hey, I like — (head coach) Shane (Steichen), I like this. (Offensive coordinator) Jim Bob (Cooter), this is something I feel comfortable with.’ And I think the more he plays, the more he’ll become vocal about that.”
The other area where young players must mature quickly is in the defensive backfield.
Safety Julian Blackmon and cornerback Kenny Moore II are proven veterans who enjoyed strong training camps. But the rest of the starting lineup will be filled with youngsters.
Second-year cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones are expected to start alongside Moore in nickel packages, and either Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II or Trevor Denbow will start at safety opposite Blackmon.
Whoever’s in the lineup will be tested early by Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in the first three weeks.
“They’re young,” Ballard said of the defensive backs. “They’re going to continue to get better. Sometimes you’ve got to be able to meet — things don’t always work out, even when you’re trying to acquire a player. Not saying we didn’t try to do some things. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.
“But we do think we have good, young talent back there, and we have a lot of belief in our front. So we’ll continue to let these guys grow and come on. They don’t become players without playing. I mean, I think sometimes we forget that. They’ve got to just – they’ve got to play.”
The roster construction and the philosophy behind it is similar – with some tweaks – to the approach Ballard has taken since he was hired in 2017.
In his first seven seasons, Indianapolis has just two playoff berths and one postseason win.
There have been extenuating circ*mstances from the sudden retirement of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck in 2019 to the outright collapse in 2022 that led to the hiring of Steichen last season.
But this roster has been built to Ballard’s specifications, and the season’s results could and should be viewed as a referendum on his performance.
It’s a reality of the job he readily accepts.
“The last three years, not making the playoffs, it’s a disappointment,” Ballard said. “I’m not going to sit here and say it wasn’t, but I still have a very strong belief in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and how we’re going to get there.
“That will not – either you believe for something or you believe nothing. It’s easy to vacillate, easy to vacillate and go with what the world wants you to do. You either believe in something or you don’t. It’s what we believe. If it gets me fired, so be it.”
PRACTICE SQUAD
The Colts signed 11 players to their practice squad Wednesday: Linebacker Austin Ajiake, linebacker Liam Anderson, defensive end Genard Avery, quarterback Jason Bean, safety Marcel Dabo, running back Evan Hull, cornerback Chris Lammons, wide receiver D.J. Montgomery, cornerback Jaylin Simpson, cornerback Ameer Speed and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.
All 11 were with Indianapolis throughout training camp. There are five open spaces yet to be filled.
ROSTER MOVE
After Womack was awarded to the Colts on the waiver wire, the team waived cornerback Darrell Baker Jr.
