SI’s Matt Verderame: The Next Colts GM Has to Be Comfortable With Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s Hands-On Approach
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame joined Jake Query on the Game Day Men’s Health guest line on Query & Company the day the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard.
Pluses and Minuses of the Job
Verderame said the job has talent, naming Tyler Warren and Jonathan Taylor. The minuses: no first-round pick and no long-term quarterback. “Daniel Jones is not playing like a guy who’s going to be the long-term fix at quarterback,” he said.
He said some veteran executives may balk at owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s hands-on approach, including her presence on the sideline. “If you’re the GM or the coach of the Colts, you better get comfortable with it,” he said. “And if you’re not comfortable with it, don’t go to Indianapolis.”
What Sealed Ballard’s Fate
Verderame called Ballard a “smart guy, good man” who never found the quarterback to replace Andrew Luck, and said the Luck excuse had run out: “It’s 2019. Who cares? It’s over.” He pointed to the Sauce Gardner trade, which cost two first-round picks, saying “it’s certainly not favorable for Indianapolis.”
Steichen, the Search and Peyton Manning
Verderame said Shane Steichen is “very, very clearly on the chopping block,” and a new GM should either extend Steichen or move on, because “you can’t go into this with one year left.” Of Ballard, Steichen and Jones, he thinks Steichen would land a similar job fastest because “the Colts have never given this guy a quarterback.” He floated veteran names such as John Dorsey and Thomas Dimitroff.
On Peyton Manning, Verderame said full control of football decisions plus a path to a minority stake “would at least be very intriguing.”
Read Matt Verderame’s work at Sports Illustrated and see the Colts front office page. More on The Fan: the Colts fire Chris Ballard, Zak Keefer on the Ballard era and Marlin Jackson on needing a Bill Polian-type leader.