The coaching staff and fanbase got another piece of bad injury news. Star wide receiver Micheal Pittman Jr will be sidelined for “multiple weeks” with a back injury and could end up going on the Injured Reserve List. This could not come at a worse time as the Colts travel to Nashville this week to take on division rival Tennessee Titans. The franchise has not ruled out injured reserve and would be added to an already too-large list so far this season.
The Injuries Are Piling Up
Every team deals with injuries, it’s part of the game’s fabric, but this year has been devastating to this roster. Instead of boring you with all the names and injuries that this roster has dealt with, 13 key players have either missed at least one game or multiple games this season. Of those 13 players, 6 of them are currently on injured reserve. All 6 of those players are what would be deemed impact players. While it looks like the Colts will get some injured players back this week, losing the undisputed offensive security blanket is nearly irreplaceable.
Not to mention, this is a must-win game for Indianapolis. At 2-3 on the season, going to 2-4 with an increasingly difficult front-loaded schedule could be a death sentence to this season. Two of the next three games are on the road before matching up against playoff contenders Minnesota, Buffalo, and Detroit.
#Colts Injured Reserve List (if MPJ is added):
– DeForest Buckner
– Michael Pittman Jr.
– Samson Ebukam
– Will Fries
– Tyquan Lewis
– JuJu BrentsPlayers not on IR who have missed a game(s):
– Anthony Richardson
– Jonathan Taylor
– Kenny Moore II
– Julian Blackmon
– Ryan Kelly— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) October 9, 2024
Did Ballard Buy Himself Another Year?
I know this is an out-there concept to think about, but with the number of injuries this team has sustained, could Colts GM Chris Ballard have bought himself another year? Chris Ballard has never had a great relationship with this fan base. He has been fine with all of us but the noise for his job grows with every loss. His current record as GM is 56-63-1 with 2 playoff appearances (1 win) and zero division titles.
He was dealt a bad hand with the retirement of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck in 2019. It was an opportunity for Ballard to reset the franchise and start over. Instead, he gave us band-aids to the quarterback issue. He never considered drafting a new youthful franchise quarterback until Anthony Richardson and his “alien traits” showed up at the NFL Draft Combine in 2023, and it was only then that he was essentially forced into taking a QB if he wanted to stay in Indianapolis. He blew away the scouts and front office personnel with his arm strength, speed, and athleticism.
While the verdict on Richardson is still out, the verdict on Ballard has been decided by the fanbase. With Ballard bringing in Richardson and now, head coach Shane Steichen, these three are now presumably tied together. While Steichen appears to be the right hire, his defensive staff will likely be replaced by season’s end, if not sooner.
The Verdict On Ballard
Can Chris Ballard save his job for the remainder of his contract from all these injuries? I think it’s very feasible that these could save him, especially with the offensive absences. This will be Richardson’s 9th NFL game on Sunday, and he continues to deal with chemistry issues with his pass catchers. Those issues come from both his injuries and the others. Without a full body of analysis, it’s hard to hold these injuries over the head of Chris Ballard. While he has not built the depth needed to compete, we must see how this team works out.
If you want to fire him based on past performance as GM, it’s a completely warranted argument. But to say this season is the reason he should be fired is now a poor argument. Richardson needs time to gel with the impact position players and these injuries will only stunt his growth for the season.
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