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Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
At his end-of-season press conference, Colts general manager Chris Ballard let out a chuckle.
He had been asked about how excited he was, about how much pressure was off his shoulders, knowing that the Colts have a coach and young quarterback in place to build around.
So that slight laugh wasn’t just about the stability now in place. It was also about the bright days that seem to be ahead in Indianapolis.
“A much different tone than when we were sitting here a year ago, when we didn’t have either one of them [a coach or a quarterback],” Ballard said.
That was a theme throughout Ballard’s remarks, which lasted more than 50 minutes. He spoke as if a burden had been lifted. And it’s hard to blame him. The Colts on paper appear to be primed for long-term success after a surprising 9-8 campaign with a rookie head coach in Shane Steichen. And with a quarterback in Anthony Richardson just a year into his rookie deal, Indianapolis has more financial flexibility than it’s had in years. From 2019-22, Indianapolis had big money tied to non-franchise quarterbacks (Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett).
That’s no longer the case.
The Colts also have $58.9 million in 2024 salary cap space, fifth-most in the league, according to Overthecap.com.
“I feel really good about where we’re going,” Ballard said. “Even with the ending [the Week 18 loss to the Texans], it probably was one of the more satisfying, fun teams to be around on a day-to-day basis.”
From a coaching standpoint, Steichen has brought stability and direction to the franchise, which was in chaos in the 2022 season. There was Frank Reich’s midseason firing followed by the interim hire of Jeff Saturday, a team legend who had never coached above high school.
Despite missing the playoffs for the third straight year, Indianapolis more than doubled its win total this past season. The offensive playcaller, Steichen…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/colts-primed-for-success-but-anthony-richardsons-development-remains-key
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Publish date : 2024-01-31 00:29:36
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