Colts owner Jim Irsay says he's retaining GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay insists he’s as frustrated as the team’s fans are about a fourth consecutive playoff absence.

He’s just not ready to start over.

About four hours after the Colts completed their season with a 26-23 overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Irsay ended any speculation about possible offseason changes by announcing in a letter to fans that longtime general manager Chris Ballard and second-year coach Shane Steichen would return next season.

“I’ve been evaluating our entire operation, and I believe in Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen and our collective ability to make the improvements needed to take us to the next level in 2025,” the 65-year-old owner wrote. “I know fans who want an immediate change in leadership will be disappointed. That means we all have a lot to prove, so we’ll get back to work and keep doing what we can to earn your support and make you proud to be a Colts fan.”

The decision stops, for now, the speculation fueled by another disappointing finish that a major offseason overhaul could be coming to Indy in 2025. Indy finished 8-9, missing the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

Fans have been clamoring for changes, with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley taking most of the fire early this season. Steichen and Ballard came under increasing pressure following a 31-13 loss at Denver in Week 15 that damaged Indy’s postseason hopes and again two weeks later with a 45-33, playoff-eliminating loss at the woeful New York Giants.

Former Colts punter Pat McAfee took to Twitter and ESPN to say he would not be renewing his season tickets while questioning what kind of standards Colts players and coaches are held to.

Some fans lined up behind McAfee’s comments, strongly urging Irsay to make changes, and some of them made their preference clear by chanting “Fire Ballard” in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game.

Indy has only reached the postseason twice and has only one playoff win in Ballard’s eight-year tenure, going a full decade without an AFC South crown. Only six NFL teams have longer division title droughts. The other three teams in Indy's division have each won at least two titles during that span.

“As we close out this season, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that we failed to win the AFC South and earn a playoff appearance. There’s a high standard in this city for our team and anyone who steps on the field wearing the horseshoe,” wrote Irsay, who has been battling health issues since a fall in late 2023. “I know you invest your time, energy, and money into the Colts every year. More than anything, we want to reward you with division titles and playoff runs, and we’ve fallen short in the most painful ways possible.”

Indy’s recent history is filled with chapters like the one that played out at Denver, where Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, costing Indy a touchdown. Or the Giants game in which the defense allowed New York's struggling offense to score a season-high 45 points.

Last year, it was Tyler Goodson’s dropped pass on fourth-and-1 in Week 18 that sealed the Texans' 23-19 victory — giving Houston the division crown and eliminating the Colts on their home field. Two years earlier, it was another befuddling final game, a 26-13 loss at Jacksonville that cost Indy a playoff berth.

Nevertheless, the Colts will let Ballard and Steichen continue to try and develop 22-year-old quarterback Anthony Richardson, the strong-armed No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Richardson has shown glimpses of game-changing ability when healthy, though his accuracy remains a major question. He completed a league low 47.7% of his throws this season.

Steichen, who is 17-17 in two seasons, wants to keep working with Richardson.

“Obviously, I love being the head football coach here, love everything about it, love this team,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll have an evaluation process early on this week, but I’m excited.”

Now he — and Ballard — know their fates as well as Irsay’s goals.

“The expectation is to win our division and compete for championships,” Irsay wrote. “Just being on the doorstep of the playoffs is not the standard I expect, nor what you deserve. We understand that and always accept the challenge.”

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Michael Marot, The Associated Press