Opinion: What Will Carlie Irsay-Gordon Do?

Carlie Irsay-Gordon is in a pickle, but not one of her making.

The owner of the Colts – who took over the responsibilities of the franchise after her father Jim passed away – is facing a fork in the road as the NFL regular season closes with her Colts not in the playoffs. She has become famous for her appearances on the sideline: wearing an earpiece and taking notes, in flashy outfits with a neutral expression on her face akin to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, looking like a modern-day Cruella de Vil.  All eyes will be on her Monday as she decides the future direction of the team: keep general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, or fire both and go in another direction?

Everybody except the Colts faithful, including former head coach Bruce Arians, wants her to stay patient.  But is that really the right way?

The legitimate yet unconvincing argument for keeping Ballard and Steichen is as follows: the Colts were 8-2 before Daniel Jones’ non-contact injury, they were thumping teams left-and-right, and at one point stood at the top of the conference standings. Ballard and Steichen can’t possibly be the problem.

Yet the NFL is a results-driven game, and the current regime has failed to produce results: the Colts haven’t made the playoffs in five seasons  They are mired in mediocrity.  And people in Indiana don’t like mediocrity.

Only people in Indiana can fully understand how desperate Colts fans feel right now. They are used to Peyton Manning, the era of the late 2000s and early 90s, where winning the AFC South was not considered an accomplishment, but more like a participation trophy. Every Sunday would be a shock if they lost. There was no better feeling than to walk over to Lucas Oil Stadium or the RCA Dome, knowing that Peyton Manning and Co. were about ready to drop 42 points on the Titans. This is what Colts fans want, and what Colts fans are used to.

This is a chance for her to run things her way, to send her father’s mismanagement down the tubes and start a culture of accountability. 

There’s hardly a guarantee a repeat performance next season is in the works.  Jones has been prone to injury since he came into the league. Thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade, there’s no top first round draft picks for the next two seasons. They aren’t going to get much better, and the reasons for that start at the top.

What will she do?  We are about to find out.