Frank Reich - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Fire HC Frank Reich, Name Jeff Saturday Interim Replacement

November 7th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

11:59am: In a surprising move, the Colts have announced former center Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach. The 47-year-old spent all but the final season of his 14-year playing career in Indianapolis, earning a total of six Pro Bowl nods. A member of the team’s Ring of Honor, he has since worked as a consultant with them, along with a role as an ESPN analyst.

The decision to hire from outside the organization is noteworthy, given the presence of far more experienced options in Bradley and Fox. This will mark Saturday’s first coaching role at the college or NFL level, making this a borderline unprecedented hire. A press conference is scheduled for later today.

10:34am: The second in-season head coach firing has taken place in the NFL. Frank Reich has been let go by the Colts, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news.

Reich had increasingly become the subject of scrutiny this season, his fifth leading the Colts’ sideline. The team has run into unexpected offensive struggles, and as the unit’s play-caller, the 60-year-old bore the brunt of criticism. Just last week, however, it had appeared as though his job was safe for at least the immediate future.

Yesterday, Indianapolis suffered a 26-3 loss to New England, representing another low mark on the campaign with respect to the offense. Second-year passer Sam Ehlinger was making his second career start, after being installed as the starter in place of veteran trade acquisition Matt Ryan. That decision, it was later revealed, was driven not by Reich, but rather team owner Jim Irsay.

Another sizeable move came last week, when offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was fired. He did not handle play-calling duties, though, leading to questions of how much of a difference that move would make. It also pointed to Reich’s time with the Colts potentially being in jeopardy barring a significant turnaround. That certainly didn’t take place yesterday, and the team now sits at 3-5-1 on the year.

Indianapolis has faced inconsistency along the offensive line – once the undisputed strength of the team, and one of the best units in the league – and star running back Jonathan Taylor has missed time with injury. Even when healthy, however, he has not played to the potential his first two seasons demonstrated. In the passing game, the team actually ranks in the top-10 in yards per game (257), but Ryan’s struggles with turnovers hamstrung the league’s lowest-scoring team and greatly influenced his benching. The lone move the team made at the trade deadline was sending backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Bills.

Reich will depart with an overall record of 40-33-1. Three of his past four seasons had ended with winning records, but the team’s late-season collapse in 2021 cost them a playoff spot. A return to the postseason was considered a baseline expectation for 2022, especially given the stability Ryan was expected to provide after years of searching for a long-term Andrew Luck replacement. It appears likely the Colts will be kept out of the playoffs once again this year, making the remaining weeks an evaluation period for Ehlinger and the team’s other young players.

The Colts’ remaining staff includes a pair of coaches with HC experience: defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, and defensive assistant John Fox. Former DC Matt Eberflus became the Bears’ head coach this offseason, one year after former OC Nick Sirianni departed for Philadelphia to do the same. Now, all three mainstays on Indy’s sideline are gone, with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team moving forward. Reich joins ex-Panthers bench boss Matt Rhule as coaches now on the lookout for their next employer.

Latest On Colts HC Frank Reich, GM Chris Ballard

October 30th, 2022 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

An owner-imposed quarterback change is generally not a good omen for a head coach or general manager, and Colts owner Jim Irsay‘s recent mandate that Indianapolis bench offseason trade acquisition Matt Ryan for 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger has led to speculation that HC Frank Reich and GM Chris Ballard could be on the hot seat. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears from multiple sources that Reich is safe and that his job is not at all in jeopardy.

It seems Reich has done enough to merit additional time as the club’s sideline general. The Colts hastily pivoted to Reich after being jilted by Josh McDaniels during the 2018 coaching cycle, and under Reich’s watch, Indy has compiled a 40-30-1 regular season record. The only year in which the team did not post an above-.500 record was in 2019, when Andrew Luck unexpectedly retired weeks before the regular season got underway.

On the other hand, the Colts’ collapse in the final two weeks of the 2021 campaign — which featured a Week 18 loss to the 2-14 Jaguars to eliminate the team from the postseason field — is a black mark on Reich’s resume (though former QB Carson Wentz has shouldered plenty of blame for that disappointment as well). The fact that Indianapolis has not won a eminently-winnable division during Reich’s tenure is also working against him.

Of course, the team has been slapping duct tape on its quarterback situation since Luck’s retirement, and while 2020 signal-caller Philip Rivers led the Colts to a playoff berth, the subsequent additions of Wentz and Ryan did not go as well. It would hardly be fair to blame Reich for QB development when the QBs he has had to work with have been near the ends of their careers or otherwise became expendable in the eyes of their prior clubs. Instead, the growth of Ehlinger over the remainder of the season may be more reflective of Reich’s acumen.

It may not even be fair to lay the blame for the QB carousel at Ballard’s feet, as Irsay is more involved when it comes to his franchise’s signal- callers than he is with other aspects of roster construction. Indeed, Ryan’s health and injury guarantees for 2023 may have been a factor in his Irsay-led demotion, and Irsay spearheaded this offseason’s Wentz trade as well.

Nonetheless, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports believes the seats are warming for Reich and Ballard, and he spoke with one AFC executive who said, “I’m concerned for them. They’re already being questioned about how they evaluate quarterbacks, and if [Ehlinger] comes in there and doesn’t play well, it’ll reflect poorly.”

Irsay himself has responded to the speculation in an emphatic way. He said he has given no thought to moving on from either his head coach or GM, and he added, “I’m in a great spot with Chris and Frank. We’re all re-energized with the move to Sam Ehlinger. Nothing is easy but [I] feel really good” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen).

Jim Irsay Led Charge For Colts’ Matt Ryan Benching

October 25th, 2022 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Irsay has placed his hands on the Colts’ personnel steering wheel at key junctures this year. Nine months after the owner insisted Carson Wentz be a Colts one-and-done, he led the way to Wentz’s replacement being benched.

Over the past few weeks, Irsay let Chris Ballard and Frank Reich know a change was needed at quarterback, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports, noting Ballard was onboard with benching Matt Ryan for Sam Ehlinger before Reich reached that conclusion (subscription required).

Pointing out that the quarterback position provides an exception to Irsay’s policy of letting Ballard and Reich run the show, Keefer adds a Sunday-night meeting — similar to the Irsay-Ballard-Reich summit shortly after the Colts’ Week 18 meltdown in Jacksonville — led to the call to demote Ryan. Ryan’s sprained shoulder will sideline him in Week 8, but he will soon become a healthy backup for the first time since Boston College’s 2005 season. Ryan’s 12 turnovers — nine interceptions, three lost fumbles — lead the league.

Irsay’s prompting also comes months after he instructed Ballard to finalize the trade for Ryan, whom the Falcons dealt to the Colts for a 2022 third-round pick. Indianapolis went more than a week in between the Wentz and Ryan trades, discussing a deal with Jameis Winston during the days between those moves. But once the Falcons’ Deshaun Watson courtship commenced, the Ryan-to-Indy path formed.

The Colts have traded a first-rounder and two thirds to bring in their past two starting QBs, though they recouped considerable value by shipping Wentz to Washington this offseason. Indianapolis will now turn to a former sixth-round pick at the game’s marquee position.

Select scouts communicated to SI.com’s Albert Breer they believe Ryan’s arm is shot, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio points to Ryan’s injury guarantees as the reason the Colts are moving away from him seven games in. The Colts restructured Ryan’s contract this offseason, ballooning his 2023 cap number to $35.2MM. Ryan will see $12MM guaranteed next year, but $7.2MM more would come via injury guarantees if the 37-year-old passer cannot pass a physical on Day 3 of the 2023 league year, Florio adds. Ryan’s $10MM 2023 roster bonus is also guaranteed for injury, leading to the Colts’ effort to bubble-wrap their initial 2022 starter.

The Colts continue to battle uphill in the years after Andrew Luck‘s August 2019 retirement. After acquiring Ryan, they joined the Broncos and Commanders in starting a sixth Week 1 quarterback in six years. Fewer than 10 teams have gone through that much QB1 turnover since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Indianapolis will run that streak to seven next season. Only two post-merger teams — the Chargers from 1987-93 and Browns from 2013-19 — have trotted out different Week 1 starting QBs in seven straight years. Ehlinger, who has yet to throw a regular-season pass, will attempt to make his case to be that starter.

Poll: Which Head Coach Will Be Fired First In 2022?

October 8th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

One month into the 2022 campaign, few NFL teams have truly surged out of the gate and distanced themselves from the rest of the field. There are some, on the other hand, which have invited speculation about potential coaching changes.

Calls for a firing have most loudly been made so far in Carolina. Matt Rhule entered this year, his third with the Panthers, with expectations to steer the franchise back into playoff contention. His ability to do so at both Temple and Baylor earned him a sizeable first NFL head coaching deal, but results have been lacking so far.

The acquisition of quarterback Baker Mayfield and a return to health from star running back Christian McCaffrey led to optimism that improvement on the offensive side of the ball in particular would be coming. Instead, the Panthers rank last in the league in yards, and 17^th in points scored so far. A severe lack of wins when allowing more than 17 points has stretched into 2022; the fact that the 47-year-old continues to back Mayfield as the team’s No. 1 signal-caller will tie the pair together, though, regardless of their shared success or failure. Despite the significant term remaining on his first NFL deal, Rhule could make way for a more experienced option if an offensive resurgence doesn’t take shape.

The same may end up being true of Frank Reich in Indianapolis. The team’s annual replacement of their starting QB resulted in the arrival of Matt Ryan and the expectation of far more stability at the position compared to Carson Wentz. The former MVP has struggled mightily with respect to ball security, however, leading the league in both interceptions (seven) and fumbles (11). His 21 sacks taken have further hampered an offense averaging a league-worst 13.8 points per game.

Winless through the first half of their divisional contests, the Colts currently sit third in what is still considered an underwhelming AFC South. Plenty of time for a turnaround exists, of course, but there is added urgency around the team after 2021’s late-season collapse which cost them a playoff berth. Reich is tied to general manager Chris Ballard, as the pair were extended through 2026 just last year, potentially giving them a longer leash in the Ryan era, which they hope will last far longer than that of his predecessors. Early returns on the team’s investment in that trio have certainly been underwhelming, though.

In Arizona, Kliff Kingsbury entered 2022 with the expectation that the Cardinals’ inconsistencies would be corrected. After a hot start ended with a disappointing end to the campaign in 2021, Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim each received extensions and are now on the books through 2027. That move was eventually followed up by a massive second contract for QB Kyler Murray this summer, leaving the potential for he and Kingsbury to remain together for the foreseeable future.

However, Arizona has started 2-2 this season, ranking in the middle of the pack offensively. The absence of wideout DeAndre Hopkins, dating back to late last year, has hamstrung the team on that side of the ball to such a degree that Kingsbury’s scheme has increasingly come under fire. In spite of year-to-year improvement in the win-loss column over the course of his tenure on the sidelines, then, the 43-year-old is considered to be facing something of a make-or-break proposition in 2022. The return of Hopkins from suspension will no doubt give the offense a boost, but whether that translates to increased success – especially early in games – will be worth monitoring closely.

Another team facing unexpected struggles with the ball is the Broncos, led by rookie HC Nathaniel Hackett. The addition of QB Russell Wilson has not yielded anywhere near the production which was expected upon his arrival (and subsequent extension) heading into the season, with blame being shared between the two. Denver’s calamitous efforts in the red zone in particular have led to poor primetime showings and a 2-3 record.

Hackett has already responded by bringing veteran advisor Jerry Rosburg out of retirement, though Thursday night’s loss to the Colts did little to quell doubts about the team’s 2022 prospects. The growing list of injuries Denver is dealing with on both sides of the ball would have hampered their playoff chances regardless of if Hackett had taken the Broncos gig or any of the other four he interviewed for this winter. Still, the fact that he has risen up the list of contenders to be replaced so early in his tenure speaks to how problematic it has been so far.

Will one of these four coaches be the first to receive their walking papers, or will that fate befall a different bench boss? Cast your vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments below:

Latest On Colts’ Shaquille Leonard

August 27th, 2022 at 8:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the regular season now less than two weeks away, the Colts face an important decision regarding linebacker Shaquille Leonard. The team has the option to move him to the reserve/PUP list, but Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star notes that they are looking to avoid doing so.

Moving the 27-year-old to the reserve list would make him ineligible for the first four weeks of the season, hence the club’s hesitancy to do so. Leonard has still yet to practice this offseason, as he continues to rehab from back surgery. He was never at 100% health last season either, dealing with an ankle injury.

Team officials have been increasingly open about the possibility that Leonard won’t be able to suit up for the regular season opener. Head coach Frank Reich recently said, though, that Leonard was “preparing like he’s playing Week 1.” However, he also admitted that the three-time All-Pro would need to adjust when back on the field, as he will likely still not have recovered in full by September.

“[GM] Chris Ballard and I have not had that exact conversation yet,” Reich said, when asked about placing Leonard on the reserve/PUP list. “Based on the fact that he’s really not out there yet, I guess you’d have to say that’s a possibility, but I’m not assuming that’s the case.”

Leonard had another hugely productive season in 2021, and his absence for any length would of course be a massive blow for the Colts’ defense. The lingering back issue still clouds his readiness for the regular season opener, but Reich pointed to practice time as a reason the team could avoid sidelining him for a month.

“From our standpoint, we really want to get him back out there when he’s cleared, but even if he’s not ready to play, get him out there,” he said. “You can’t get out there if you’re on PUP. You can’t participate in anything. We want to get [Leonard] participating, so at some point, even if he’s not ready to play, we’ve got to get him off PUP and get him taking reps, even if it’s going to take him however many weeks to get ready.”

The Colts have until Tuesday to decide on Leonard’s immediate future, something which will have significant implications for himself personally and the team generally.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

June 29th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.

Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.

While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.

As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:

Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022

Latest On Colts’ WR Search

April 18th, 2022 at 2:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts have made a number of significant additions this offseason, but wide receiver remains a weak spot on their roster. The team has acknowledged the lack of established options at the position, but remains optimistic, as noted by ESPN’s Mike Wells.

[RELATED: Colts To Sign Gilmore]

At the moment, Michael Pittman Jr. is the only starting wideout set to return from the 2021 team. Zach Pascal signed with the Eagles earlier this offseason, and veteran T.Y. Hilton is still a free agent. Of the remaining options, Parris Campbell has shown the most potential, but injuries have been an issue in each of his three seasons. Still, Wells notes, the Colts “aren’t panicking over their current receiving situation”.

Owner Jim Irsay said last month, “Do we need to add [receivers]? Yes. I’m not going to sit here and say we don’t. But we have some young players that we like.” Head coach Frank Reich has echoed that sentiment, saying “I happen to have a lot of belief in the young guys”.

While more targets are likely for Campbell and pass-catching back Nyheim Hines, the team could still add at the position. The free agent market still includes the likes of Hilton, but also Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry and Will Fuller. However, Irsay recently said, “You’re looking for a real specific talent at this point, and it doesn’t appear to be out there”.

As for the draft, Indianapolis doesn’t own a first-round pick as a result of last year’s Carson Wentz trade. Their top selection is presently No. 42, which should still put them within range of some of the second- and third-tier receiver prospects in what is generally viewed as a deep class at the position. In one form or another, at least one significant addition is expected between now and the beginning of the 2022 season.

Jim Irsay, Chris Ballard Address Colts’ Latest QB Change

March 29th, 2022 at 7:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

While it was not difficult to see Jim Irsay as the driving force behind the Colts’ decision to abandon their Carson Wentz effort after one season, the owner effectively confirmed this Tuesday.

GM Chris Ballard called the Irsay-initiated meeting after the Colts’ Week 18 loss “an ass-chewing,” and the longtime owner certainly appears to have identified Wentz as the main problem. Irsay’s refusal to meet with Wentz, following reports the Colts were done with him, preceded the team trading the former No. 2 overall pick to Washington earlier this month.

“No disrespect to Jacksonville, but I mean, they’re the worst team in the league. You play well and hard for the first quarter or so, and they’re looking to go to their locker room and clean it out. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” Irsay said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson. “You say, ‘My God, there’s something wrong here.’ It needs to be corrected. I think that we feel like we did.”

Moving away from Wentz became the “obvious” decision, per Irsay, who was grateful the Deshaun Watson saga led to Matt Ryan becoming available (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer). Wentz finished with a career-low 4.3 QBR against the Jaguars, who were two-touchdown underdogs, and Irsay criticized the since-traded passer for his failure to lift the team as its season-defining upset took shape. Irsay met with Colts leaders and determined a Wentz-related disconnect existed, per Erickson.

It is safe to say Wentz will have sufficient motivation going into the 2022 season, considering persistent criticism aimed his way over the past several weeks. Frank Reich said this week he believes Wentz can still be a top-10 quarterback, adding “You guys know how I feel about him,” but “you have to make the move that you think is right,” via The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (subscription required). Reich was the last of the Colts’ power trio to reach the conclusion the team needed to trade Wentz, Holder adds. Given Reich’s pre-Indianapolis connection to the QB, this hesitancy makes sense.

“That was a good debate. That went back and forth,” Ballard said, via Holder, of talks between he, Reich and Irsay on Wentz’s future. “Look, I mean, Carson was productive for us. Let’s be real here. [He threw] 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. My job is to look not only at the short term but also the long-term implications. And I think sometimes you hang on just because you made a move and you don’t want the world to see you in a negative viewpoint. We gotta always do the right thing no matter how it might make me look. I just thought it was the right move for us short- and long-term.”

AFC Coaching Notes: Colts, Bills, Jaguars, Ravens

February 12th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Since Frank Reich was able to land defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to replace Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus, Bradley has begun the process of putting his staff together. Today Bradley added longtime defensive backs coach Ron Milus to coach his secondary, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Milus first started coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Washington, about eight years after playing cornerback there. He held the college position for seven years before getting an NFL coaching opportunity in 2000. Since then, Milus hasn’t spent a season out of work with stints in Denver, Arizona, New York (Giants), St. Louis, Carolina, San Diego, and Las Vegas. His longest stint was with the Chargers, spending eight years in southern California and transitioning with the team to Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that Milus was retained when Bradley joined the Chargers’ staff. He followed Bradley to Las Vegas and will join him once more in Indianapolis.

Here are a few other coaching notes from around the AFC starting with another bit from the Hoosier State:

In addition to Milus, Mike Chappell of Fox59 reports that Indianapolis is also in the process of hiring linebackers coach Richard Smith, who worked with Bradley and Milus in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Smith has coached in the NFL since he debuted for the Houston Oilers in 1988 coaching special teams and tight ends. He found his niche as a linebackers coach in 1997 for the 49ers and has had three short stints as a defensive coordinator in Miami, Houston, and Atlanta.
ESPN’s Yates also tweeted out a report that the Bills have added former QB Kyle Shurmur on staff in a defensive quality control position. After four years at Vanderbilt, Shurmur signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs, spending time on their practice squad as well as on the Bengals’ and Washington’s practice squads. He was released by Washington a little over a month ago and that appears to mark the end of his playing career. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his father, Pat Shurmur, and joining the coaching track.
A castaway from the Matt Nagy Bears’ staff, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey will not be without work for long as Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports reports that Shuey is joining Doug Pederson‘s staff in Jacksonville in the same role. Shuey and Pederson had two separate tenures together in Philadelphia.
Pederson also made a crucial move of retaining running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tells us that keeping Parmalee was a priority for Pederson, especially due to his strong relationship with star running back James Robinson.
Baltimore has hired Rob Leonard as outside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter). Leonard will replace Drew Wilkins who left to join Brian Daboll‘s staff in New York. Leonard spent the past three seasons in the same position with the Dolphins. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds that former Michigan analyst Ryan Osborn will follow Mike Macdonald to the Ravens for a quality control position. Osborn is credited with having a role in the development of Wolverines’ EDGE players like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.

Colts Extend Frank Reich, Chris Ballard

August 11th, 2021 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have signed head coach Frank Reich and GM Chris Ballard to brand new contracts. The extensions will keep both of them in place through the 2026 season.

“In Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, we have as great a General Manager-head coach combination as there is in the NFL, and I can’t tell you how proud I am to have them leading our franchise,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a press release.

“I truly believe this football team is on the doorstep of great things, and that’s because of the culture both have cultivated in their time with the Horseshoe. Whether we are marching toward the playoffs or facing adversity, whether we are building our roster or making a difference in the community, we have the ideal leaders in Chris and Frank.”

Ballard spent 12 seasons with the Bears and served asJohn Dorsey‘s right-hand man in Kansas City before joining the Colts in January of 2017. One year later, after the Josh McDaniels mess, he hired Reich. Things have worked out pretty well since then — the Colts have gone 28-20 over the last three seasons with and two playoff berths.

“I really believe that you will see a golden era develop as we go into this decade sitting here in 2021,” Irsay said earlier this year. “I believe it with all my heart and soul. There is good reason to believe it. You talk to people around the league and people that know, they are going to agree with what I’m saying when they look at Chris Ballard and Frank Reich and the expectations going into this decade that we have for both of them leading the team.”