Agent's Take: Chris Ballard's Colts tenure might look much different had he made this blockbuster trade

Indianapolis was among Stafford’s preferred destinations in 2021, but Ballard chose a different path and never solved the franchise’s quarterback problem

Former agent Joel Corry examines the Chris Ballard decision to cycle through players like Carson Wentz and Anthony Richardson instead of target Matthew Stafford. The Indianapolis Colts dismissed general manager Chris Ballard one day after losing 26-20 to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. The Colts dropped to 2-4 with the loss. Ballard is the first head coach or front office executive to be fired during the 2026 NFL season. His nearly 10-year tenure as Colts general manager was hindered by an inability to find a long-term solution at quarterback after Andrew Luck's surprising retirement shortly before the 2019 regular season started. The Colts haven't made the playoffs since going 11-5 in 2020 with a 39-year-old Philip Rivers, who signed a one-year, $25 million deal in free agency.

Rivers retired following a 27-24 wild-card playoff game loss to the Buffalo Bills, who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. There's one bold move Ballard could have made in 2021 that would have ended the revolving door at quarterback that has plagued the Colts and changed the franchise's trajectory. The Detroit Lions were accommodating Matthew Stafford's trade request. The Colts were on Stafford's short list of teams, along with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Stafford mentioned during a March 2025 episode of Jason and Travis