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Colts general manager after he’s spurned by Patriots’ Josh McDaniels: ‘The rivalry is back on’

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard answers questions during a news conference at the team's practice facility on Feb. 7.
(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
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Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard had just one thing to say Wednesday.

Well, actually, he had plenty to say during a news conference the day after New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels changed his mind about becoming the Colts’ new head coach. But the main thing most folks will remember is the sentence Ballard uttered as he was leaving the podium:

For the record:

1:00 p.m. Feb. 7, 2018The an earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to Josh McDaniels as Jeff McDaniels.

“The rivalry is back on.”

On Tuesday, the Colts announced they had agreed to contract terms with McDaniels and scheduled a news conference to announce the hiring the following day.

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Instead of announcing a new coach, however, Ballard found himself telling the press that the team was once again searching for a replacement for the recently fired Chuck Pagano.

“It doesn’t always work out or go the way we mapped it out or planned it,” Ballard said. “But it’s the mentally tough, gritty people that overcome these things that are successful....

“We’re gonna get there. Unquestionably, we’re gonna get there. We have a list of candidates. [We] had them from the get-go.... There’s other guys we wanted to interview [early in the process] but because of the playoffs we weren’t able to do it. We’ll move forward with them and we will get the right leader for the Indianapolis Colts, one that believes what we believe and wants to go where we want to go. I’m very confident in this.”

Suffice it to say, Ballard seemed pretty annoyed. And now the Colts are going to make their onetime AFC East rivals in New England pay … well, just as soon as they find themselves a new coach.

And maybe after franchise quarterback Andrew Luck is able to play again after missing the season following shoulder surgery.

And they’re probably going to have to figure out what they’ve been doing wrong after winning only four games last season and going 0-7 against the Patriots since 2010.

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But once all that happens, you better believe the rivalry will be back on!

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii

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