If nothing else, Chris Ballard is a survivor. Over the past decade, the coaches, players and even owners have changed within the Indianapolis Colts’ franchise, yet the general manager has remained the same. Ballard is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Colts, but his job security isn’t buttressed by his resume. In fact, as you’ll see in our table below, Ballard’s lack of success puts him in a league of his own in terms of the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs.With the Colts days away from kicking off their 2026 season, The Athletic took a look back at the nine lives of Chris Ballard, examining each of his nine seasons running the show in Indy to see how he cultivated a 10th. Hint: Sometimes, it’s just good to be liked.
The 9 lives of Chris Ballard: How the Colts GM has survived for so long in Indy
Over the past decade, the coaches, players and even the owner have changed Indianapolis, but the GM has remained the same. Why?
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