Colts GM On Unvaccinated Players: 'I Believe In Our Guys'

Not only is Colts general manager Chris Ballard vaccinated, he's also a strong advocate for having the entire Indy team vaxxed. But despite his personal beliefs, Ballard respects the decision of Colts players, including quarterback Carson Wentz, who have chosen to forgo the shot, and he stands by them.

With three unvaccinated Colts recently placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Ballard was asked his thoughts on players opting for the shot, per ESPN's Mike Wells: "There's consequences to not being vaccinated. Do I think everybody should be vaccinated? Absolutely. I'm for the vaccine. (Coach) Frank (Reich) is for the vaccine. We have a lot of guys on our team who are for the vaccine. Is it 100% perfect? No. But it's a good thing."

Though Ballard is in favor of the shot, don't expect him to push his beliefs on the Colts roster:

"I can go in there and raise all kinds of hell and go off. That's not how we roll. I believe in our guys. I believe in what they stand for and I'll stand by them. We'll continue to work on the vaccinations. It's not like we're done educating... But they understand they have to take care of the protocols at hand and they have to live by them. And we'll do that at the best of the ability we can do it."

Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and receiver Zach Pascal are in the midst of a 10-day quarantine. Assuming the trio receives medical clearance, they'll be available for Indy's September 12th season opener against Seattle.