Colts hire new general manager from Chiefs' front office

Published Jan. 29, 2017 7:01 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

The Indianapolis Colts waited until well after the season was over to part ways with former general manager Ryan Grigson, but they found his replacement in a comparatively short amount of time.

https://twitter.com/Colts/status/825841940642013185

Eight days after firing Grigson, Indianapolis announced it has hired Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard as its new general manager.

Ballard was hired by the Chiefs in May 2013 after a dozen years in the Chicago Bears’ scouting department. He will inherit head coach Chuck Pagano, who is signed through 2019 but who has been on the hot seat each of the past two offseasons.

Grigson and Pagano reportedly weren’t on the same page, and ultimately Grigson was the one to go after his free-agent moves intended to upgrade the team around quarterback Andrew Luck fizzled. The Colts have missed the playoffs with 8-8 records in each of the past two seasons. Prior to that, they made the postseason with 11-5 records in each of Luck’s first three years.