Colts’ Jim Irsay Regrets Giving Frank Reich Contract Extension
Indianapolis extended the contracts of Reich and general manager Chris Ballard before the 2021 season.
When the Colts fired Frank Reich in November, many observers were confused as to why the team made the decision at midseason—especially because the team just gave Reich a contract extension through 2026 just last year.
Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay gave Reich and general manager Chris Ballard extensions before the 2021 season, seemingly tying the two together contractually. However, the Colts owner said he regrets giving Reich that extension in hindsight.
“I reluctantly gave Frank an extension sooner than I wanted to,” Irsay said in an interview with ESPN’s Michelle Beisner-Buck.
At the time of the extension, the Colts were coming off two playoff appearances in three years despite starting a different quarterback each season. Since then, the team has endured even more quarterback uncertainty, and Reich was fired with a 3-5-1 record on Nov. 7.
Even though the ending between Reich and the team was bumpy, Irsay said he wishes the former coach the best moving forward.
“When you see it really, really coming apart, you realize that you have to make that change,” Irsay told Beisner-Buck. “Frank is forever part of the horseshoe. He’s beloved. He very well may coach again big time, and we’re rooting for him to do that.”
The Colts are 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Saturday.