The Colts fire general manager Chris Ballard a day after fans chanted for his job in a loss to the Titans

Chris Ballard's 10th season running the Indianapolis Colts ended before it reached the halfway point.

The Colts fired their general manager Monday morning. It came one day after chants of "Fire Ballard" rang through Lucas Oil Stadium during a 26-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis blew a 13-point halftime lead to a team that had not won all season.

Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will run the personnel department for the rest of the season. Coach Shane Steichen and his staff will report to ownership.

Why now

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said Ballard had "poured everything into this organization." She also said the franchise's standard is to compete for championships and that "a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard."

"Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now," she said.

She added that the move "does not change our goals for the season." The team will conduct a thorough search for its next general manager.

Ballard was in the final year of his contract. Ownership made it clear after last season that the pressure was on. The Colts started 8-2 in 2025 before a seven-game losing streak sank them. They became the first team ever to reach six games over .500 and still finish with a losing record.

Frustration boils over

Steichen did not argue with the fans who booed on Sunday.

"We've got to give them something to cheer about. I don't blame them for booing one freaking bit," he said.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was just as blunt. "I'm sick and tired of the same song and dance every year."

The Ballard years

Ballard finishes 72-82-1 in Indianapolis. The Colts made the playoffs only in 2018 and 2020 on his watch. They won one playoff game.

They never won the AFC South under Ballard. The franchise has not won the division since 2014. Its current five-year playoff drought is its longest since a seven-year stretch from 1988 to 1994.

Quarterback has been the biggest problem since Andrew Luck's surprise retirement in 2019. Indianapolis has started 14 different quarterbacks during Ballard's tenure. Daniel Jones re-signed this offseason on a two-year deal worth $88 million after a ruptured Achilles. He ranks 29th in the league in completion percentage.

The trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner also drew criticism. The Colts sent two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for him last season. They still owe the Jets their 2027 first-round pick.