Chris Ballard’s final roster moves may be paying off just in time for the Indianapolis Colts to find out against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
Ballard, who had been the Colts’ general manager since 2017, was long overdue to be shown the door after a run that produced only two playoff appearances and none since 2020. That part of the story doesn’t change. But there’s at least a case to be made that his last offseason left Indianapolis with more young talent than it looked like at the time.
That matters now, because the Colts could be forced to lean heavily on rookies in Dallas. With a couple of stars traded away and injuries hitting starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and slot corner Justin Walley, Indianapolis could be starting at least four first-year players.
The group includes left guard Jalen Farmer, who stepped in for the departed Quenton Nelson, safety AJ Haulcy, linebacker CJ Allen and likely cornerback Kapena Gushiken. Wide receiver Deion Burks and running back Seth McGowan are also in line for meaningful snaps.
Those players aren’t just emergency fill-ins for one week. Several of them are expected to matter well beyond this matchup, which makes Ballard’s final stretch in charge look a little different in hindsight.
He still deserved to be fired, but he may not have left the roster empty-handed. There’s enough young talent here that the Colts’ rebuild could move faster than expected, and with someone else making the draft decisions in 2027, the team could be in position to be good again by 2028.
That’s the hope, anyway. The Cowboys aren’t exactly rolling into this one as a powerhouse at 3-5, and their defense is struggling, which gives Indianapolis a chance to let those young players settle in against a team that has its own issues.
The Colts, though, have plenty of problems of their own. Daniel Jones has been awful at quarterback, the team’s mentality has been described as soft, and there’s no sign head coach Shane Steichen can toughen it up. On defense, Lou Anarumo is staring at another tough assignment against a quality offense and could wind up getting embarrassed.
Still, there’s a path where Indianapolis steals a win before the November 10 trade deadline, gives the young players some confidence, and maybe even starts to look better in the second half. It’s not the likeliest outcome, but it’s there.
One thing is already certain: with Davis-Gaither out, CJ Allen is set for his second start and will wear the green dot on defense for the first time. That was the role Ballard wanted him to have in Week 1. Maybe the former GM had that one right after all.
In Other News...
Colts Still Have A Sauce Gardner Debate Fans Cant Ignore
Sauce Gardner has given the Colts what they hoped for when they swung the deal, giving the secondary a proven cornerback who can still tilt a game on the outside. The move was bold from the start, the kind of front-office gamble that invites instant comparison to other recent defensive trades around the league, especially when a team is trying to accelerate its timeline instead of waiting for a homegrown solution.
The debate now is less about whether Gardner can play and more about what Indianapolis gave up to get him, especially with the trade being viewed through the lens of what has happened since. Even with Gardner performing well, the broader verdict has grown harsher because the Colts have had to live with the cost while also navigating the injuries and setbacks that followed, which is why this one still lingers as a front-office decision fans cannot quite let go. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Still Waiting On Two Crucial Calls Before Colts Game
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Their availability matters for a Cowboys team trying to line up as close to full strength as possible before facing Indianapolis. Porters ankle and Pickens hamstring have kept the picture cloudy for now, and the final injury report should give a clearer read on whether either can go or whether Dallas will have to adjust again before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Fans Are Losing Faith As Jonathan Taylor Debate Heats Up
The latest SB Nation Reacts survey paints a bleak picture of where things stand in Indianapolis, with confidence in the franchises direction sinking after four straight losses and a wave of roster turnover. The Colts have already moved on from veterans Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and the fan base appears to be absorbing those decisions as part of a larger reset rather than a quick fix.
Jonathan Taylor now sits at the center of that debate, with the conversation around the star running back becoming a referendum on how long this rebuild might take. For a team trying to chart a path forward, the question is no longer just what Taylor means to the offense, but whether keeping him fits the timeline the Colts are really working on. [Read more 🡒]