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Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard admits running it back in 2024 was a status-quo mistake that cost the franchise valuable time in the development of quarterback Anthony Richardson.

But Indianapolis doesn’t want to repeat the misstep. Instead, Ballard said the Colts are planning to invest in another quarterback to compete with Richardson in his third NFL season.

“There has to be real stress within that locker room, an uncomfortability that if I don’t play well enough my (expletive) will not be on the field playing,” Ballard said of his approach to rebuilding the roster.

The Colts benched Richardson for Joe Flacco before reinstalling him as the starter, but finished 8-9 to miss the playoffs because of late-season losses for the second consecutive season. But Ballard said the notion that Indianapolis is on the heels of the two-time defending AFC South champion Houston Texans is a fable.

“Right now, we’re not close,” he said. “I’m going to make this really clear. Close is losing on the last play of the Super Bowl. That’s close. Going 8-9, that’s not close. No, I’m not saying we won’t be closer when we get to the start of (the 2025) season. But right now, sitting here today, we’re an 8-9 football team. We’ve got to own that.”

Ballard said fans and media pointing to him as a cause of the Colts’ problems aren’t entirely misguided. But Ballard said he’s glad owner Jim Irsay allowed him a ninth year as the team’s GM and another chance to prove him right.

“I hear the criticism, and it’s warranted. It is. And a lot of that falls on my shoulders,” Ballard said. “For four years, we’ve not gone to the playoffs. We’ve not won a division since I’ve been here, not won a playoff game since 2018. I’ve got to own all that. I do, and I’m not going to run from it.”

While the Colts are being transparent with their desire to add a quarterback, Ballard isn’t ready to give up on Richardson. Talent, and “wow plays” are part of the mystique with Richardson and a reason the Colts are going to keep giving him chances to settle in as a pro quarterback. But the former Florida quarterback has also missed 17 games due to injury in two seasons.

“We can’t beat our head against the wall,” Ballard said. “We’ve got to have competition at the position for, one, competition makes everybody better and, two, he’s not proven he can play 17 games.”

–Field Level Media