A Colts Fan’s Account

Proud Husband, #GirlDad. Sarcasm Aficionado. Covers @Colts on @StampedeBlue, @AVeryStablePod. Projections, not promises. Opinions are my own. RTs ≠ endorsements

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

“Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same. And now, it’s here. Or should I say, I am.”
-Quenton Nelson

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

But look y’all, if you tap out in a game or drop a sure TD while walking into the end zone, you’re dead to us. No second chances there. Can’t do those things and expect another shot or for us to want to coach you up, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[James Boyd @RomeovilleKid]

New #Colts RB Seth McGowan was charged with robbery, conspiracy and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in 2021. He pled guilty to larceny of a person at nighttime and spent three months in jail.

GM Chris Ballard: “Look, I’m a second chance guy. …”

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@OnceNostalg1c Nah. This is the NFL. He very well could be a valuable asset to whomever the Irsay girls bring in to run the team next. Zero reason to give up on a 23 year old QB with tremendous upside for nothing. Maybe the next coaching staff/GM will value him enough to actually develop him.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

No point trading him for pennies when his value has never been lower. Let him develop this offseason and play in the preseason. If he plays well, his value bumps to a Day 2 pick. If he is just meh, you’re still getting a Day 3 pick. If another QB gets hurt, his value increases.

[Evan Sidery @esidery]

The Colts are in trade discussions with multiple teams on Anthony Richardson, which could lead to a deal happening this weekend.

The Buccaneers, Chiefs, Lions, Packers, Rams, and Ravens are among the teams who checked in.

Richardson’s value is believed to be a late Day 3 pick.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

Honestly, NFL should forfeit the Ravens two first round picks they traded to Vegas. We all knew Crosby was recovering from a knee injury. They still agreed to a deal. Then they negotiated with Trey behind the scenes and agreed to a deal, then fail Crosby to get their picks back.

[Will Compton @_willcompton]

Full breakdown of how the Ravens pulled off their SCUMBAG (evil genius —also collusion) move by backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

1. Zaire has never been fast. He’s been smart and in the right place, but never fast. I may be faster after my Achilles surgery. 🤷‍♂️
2. They should’ve traded him after the @PatMcAfeeShow dust up. He made the Richardson tap out much bigger than it needed to be by going after McAfee

[James Boyd @RomeovilleKid]

New #Packers LB Zaire Franklin:

“This ain’t, honestly, the first time the #Colts tried to get me out the building … So, I’m used to earning my keep. I’m looking forward to going into a new organization, a new locker room and earning my space, earning their respect.”

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@MalenkoMC It’s actually about $10M higher than Willis got from Miami. Colts are overpaying on him.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

If $50 M per year was Jones’s counteroffer, it makes Ballard’s decision to tag Jones and not Pierce that much more idiotic. Tag Pierce and wait for Jones to come crawling back hoping your original offer is still on the table because no other team is offering close to that. #Colts

[Stampede Blue @StampedeBlue]

Per @AlbertBreer, the #Colts offered QB Daniel Jones a contract similar to the one Sam Darnold signed with the Seahawks (3 years $100.5 million). Jones’s camp counter offered a deal which would pay him around $50 million per year.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@anthony_hammel @tru_Blu18 I just saw. That’s a solid deal for both sides. Glad I was proven wrong.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@anthony_hammel @tru_Blu18 More likely than not, yes. But why let Pierce potentially walk away when you know you’re probably going to be the best offer to Jones AND, if he signs elsewhere, there were likely going to be arguably better QBs available for the short and long term? It made no sense.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@tru_Blu18 That’s fair but also not a reason to do what’s best for the franchise long term.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@tru_Blu18 My issue though is they are letting Pierce potentially walk for nothing when Ballard was always going to leave that contract out for Jones. It’s his style. If Jones signs elsewhere, there are good, potentially better, QB options to pivot to that allows you to fill out your team.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@tru_Blu18 He comes back humbled but guaranteed almost 38M next year where he can just enter FA again in 2027. There’s no benefit for the Colts. It was the dumbest of dumb decisions to transition tag Jones and let Pierce walk. I bet Alec goes to TEN like NYG letting Saquan go to the Eagles.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@LuckAtLuke And Alec Pierce. This was a masterclass by Ballard in how not to be an NFL GM.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@mchappell51 @StampedeBlue Honestly, how did Ballard screw this up so badly? Pierce was the top WR on the market and a huge part of their offense last season. Jones is coming off an Achilles rupture with only a few teams able to sign him due to cap issues and Kyler, Tua, and others cheaper QBs available.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@FanshipPending He was in his second year, was putting defenders on skates and played well with Jones as his QB. His big mental mistake was on a brilliant 75 yard catch and run by him and he dropped the ball. Steichen never forgave him for that, which is a huge leadership issue.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

This is why it was incredibly short sighted to ship off AD Mitchell, an elite separator on the outside, as a toss in piece of the Gardner deal. Steichen has an issue with putting young players in the doghouse for dumb mental mistakes and then never letting them out.

[Zach Hicks @ZachHicks2]

The Colts are staring down the barrel of this WR room heading into FA with a QB coming off of an Achilles tear in a must-win season:

Michael Pittman Jr
Josh Downs
Ashton Dulin
Laquon Treadwell
Coleman Owen

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

1,000% agree. Steichen just gave up on their hand picked QB with freakishly elite traits because he made a massive mental error once. How can a GM and HC epically fail to develop then give up on him, lose 7 straight games to miss the playoffs but somehow still keep their job?

[Ray W @RizayW]

@cmccollo The AR situation was unbelievably mismanaged. Why draft a project QB and give up on him in year 2? I get injuries derailed his development but still makes you wonder

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@Goldenmom4729 @HunterCaleb98 @UpAndAdamsShow I’m going to trust the actual player and what he’s heard from his agent over Holder on this one, and I really like Holder, because he’s getting his info from someone inside the Colts facility that doesn’t want bad PR.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

Takeaways from @UpAndAdamsShow interview with Alec Pierce. The #Colts never seriously negotiated with his agents until after they figured out what they were going to do with Daniel Jones. His agents were expecting an offer, maybe the first offer, from the Colts today. 😳🤦‍♂️

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

@BTJPod It’s not just Ballard. Pierce let it slip he was upset about the extreme lack of targets and how Steichen only used him as a deep bal guy. Pierce is long gone. Ballard absolutely screwed this up.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

Pierce is likely gone. He mentioned being excited about getting into UFA and insinuated his past relationship with the #Colts will not play a role in where he lands saying he has to do what’s best for him, his career and his family.

Once again, Ballard screwed this up.

[A Colts Fan’s Account @NiceReedSteve]

He’s excited to be a FA because whoever he signs with will have to feed him targets to justify the cost. He got less than 90 targets in 2025. He seemed frustrated with the lack of targets Steichen gave him in Indy by mainly using him as a Dee threat with about two targets a game.