Colts’ Frank Reich and Chris Ballard Had ‘Good, Supporting, Demanding’ Conversation with Jim Irsay

According to head coach Frank Reich, both general manager Chris Ballard and him met with Indianapolis Colts team owner Jim Irsay for a couple of hours last night—following Sunday’s embarrassing season-ending defeat to the 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars (via the IndyStar’s Joel A. Erickson):

Such a serious meeting is hardly surprising given that the Colts arguably suffered the most embarrassing loss in franchise history—a blowout defeat to the league’s worst team record-wise, and especially in regards to what each team had on the line entering the afternoon.

The Colts didn’t just have one game to clinch a playoff spot either, they had two—as they lost consecutive weeks against both the Las Vegas Raiders (home) and Jaguars (road), playing predominantly uninspired football.

Both Reich and Ballard received contract extensions this past offseason, and while neither should exactly be on the ‘hot seat’, such a crushing collapse to end the Colts once promising campaign will certainly start raising some questions about the direction of the franchise bigger picture—and whether they’re the pair to take the team to a Super Bowl.

Each leader should be rightfully held accountable for the late season meltdown and left to answer some tough questions this offseason—especially after what shockingly just transpired.

The Colts looked out-prepared, out-coached, out-matched, and didn’t play with the required energy, edge, execution, and urgency from either of the last two games’ opening kickoffs to their final whistles respectively.

There were likely some candid and quite frank comments from Irsay to his top football lieutenants—as such a situation absolutely cannot happen ever again.

But perhaps the biggest comments Colts fans would want to be revealed is what the Colts’ top leadership thinks about incumbent starting quarterback Carson Wentz going forward, who’s the clear ‘elephant in the room’ this early offseason.

While he wasn’t solely the problem—as it took a collective, total team collapse, Wentz was definitely a big part of it to close out the year.