Disappointed. Frustrated. Pissed.
Take your pick at any adjective you’d like and it probably described Jim Irsay’s state after the Colts humiliating 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was utter madness that the Colts, with their playoff hopes on the line, failed to answer the call once again and instead rolled over to a lesser opponent that they haven’t beaten in Jacksonville since 2014. Reports say Irsay met with both General Manager Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich for a few hours following the loss and expressed his feelings on the season coming to an abrupt end and how the team can recover in 2022.
“Changes need to be made. And they will be made.” – Jim Irsay to Fox 59’s Mike Chappell
What those changes are? Anybody’s guess. It seems pretty clear we could have seen the last of T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle in Colts uniforms. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is lining up head coaching interviews with the likes of the Jaguars and Chicago Bears. But all of those changes would fall into the “expected” category and wouldn’t be all that surprising. It would also appear that Ballard and Reich are safe from any “changes” as the ink on their contract extensions, while dry, still is quite fresh. The one big change that could happen the next time the Colts play a meaningful game is who lines up under center. Is Carson Wentz still the guy the franchise rolls with or will they at least bring in real competition to challenge him for the job? The Colts have already mortgaged their first-round pick for Wentz so I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on the roster for next season, but what about after that? Surely, the Colts and Irsay don’t want to waste the prime years of Jonathan Taylor on a guy who they don’t truly believe in.
It will be a situation to monitor. Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star joined Kevin & Query and said he didn’t have the same confidence that Wentz would be the starter in 2022 that he did earlier in the season and it was a topic that Kevin and Jake debated on the show. Did Carson Wentz show you enough or was there enough question marks that it gives you pause from guaranteeing him the job in 2022? Will the Colts keep Sam Ehlinger as the primary backup or potentially pursue a more veteran QB in free agency to create a real sense of competition? We all saw how that played out in Philadelphia with Wentz and Nick Foles, but this is the NFL and you can’t let feelings cloud your judgement when it comes to assembling a championship roster.
If you could inject Jim Irsay and Chris Ballard with truth serum and get their honest opinions on Carson Wentz, what would they say? We know what they’ve said publicly and how Frank Reich feels about him but do they actually in their heart of hearts believe he should be promised anything or that he’s their quarterback of the future? Frank Reich was even cautious with his words when it came to committing to Wentz as the team’s starting QB in 2022. It’s one of, if not the biggest question heading into the off-season. An answer I think we all wanted a better gauge on at this point.
To listen to the full debate between Kevin & Query over what changes Jim Irsay could be referring to, click the link below and be sure to listen to the show every weekday morning from 7-10 on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan!
https://omny.fm/shows/kevin-and-query/kevin-query-jim-irsay-wants-changes-what-could-the
