Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts are somehow amidst yet another organizational collapse, reaching unprecedented new lows that were previously viewed as unimaginable. The well-documented falloff has been nothing short of unfortunate. Seemingly doing the right things to put a playoff team together, this return to normalcy has been humbling. But how does the franchise proceed? Is it finally time to blow it up?It’s been quite the journey covering the Chris Ballard era Colts. The first half of which was spent as a fan following in high school and then college — I’ll never forget one of my childhood best friends walking into my dorm room to regurgitate the unforeseen retirement news — while I’ve been covering the team in some capacity ever since.I wouldn’t say that the retirement in question killed my fandom, but it certainly played a factor, and my soon-to-be-realized passion for sports writing and journalism inspired me to begin viewing things more objectively. I had to take a step back, if you will, to more clearly understand the vision at hand. While I did, and continued to defend it for the most part, whether I’ve subjectively followed the team or objectively covered it, one constant with this organization has remained throughout the years: dysfunction is inevitable.How else do we view it at this point? Even by understanding the nuance behind such dysfunction over the years, no matter how much it makes sense, things going according to plan has been the opposite theme of this era.The aforementioned abrupt retirement spearheaded an era of disappointment. Even then though, how Chris Ballard, a first-time general manager just two seasons into his tenure, and Co. have rebounded, or at least attempted to, at least made sense at the time — sometimes it didn’t but I digress. Nobody could wish such a rocky start onto someone, and Ballard was given the uphill battle of a lifetime.While I’ve defended the vision over the years, the on-the-field product continues finding a way to falter. Take this season for example; everything was going according to plan, until it blew up in their faces. That’s unfortunately become the theme with this version of the franchise.When looking back at it where it all went wrong, most typically pinpoint the retirement as being the bad omen, and the 2021-22 collapse as being the (should have been) final nail in this regime’s coffin. Given that it actually birthed a second chance for Ballard and Co., a similar yet worse collapse happening just a handful of years after the fact more or less proves this regime is destined for mediocrity.But Andrew Luck retired just two years into Chris Ballard’s tenure.But they proved early on that they’re a resilient group who welcomes adversity (i.e., 1-5 start that made playoffs)But the Wild Card against the Bills proved they were knocking on legitimacy’s doorstep.But the late-season collapse of 2021-22 was a fluke.But they were a QB away.But they finally stopped putting band-aids on the league’s most important position and instead threw his hat into the first-round pick ring.But they finally spent in free agency.But the offense was historically efficient.But you can’t place blame on or predict injuries.But the vision was finally being realized.But he finally made a move at the deadline.But the roster is littered with talent.I’ve admittedly used some of these angles to make sense of and/or defend the vision over the years, but the Colts are once again back to square one; this time in unprecedented fashion — even for them. Not only are the Indianapolis Colts looking down the barrel of a Magnum Opus-level collapse, and subsequent organizational reset, but the outlook is as bleak as it’s been under Chris Ballard and Co., if you can believe that.The Colts are right back where they belong: on the quarterback carousel. That’s not to suggest the Colts deserve this fate, though some would argue that ‘sucking for Luck’ immediately after cutting ties with Peyton Manning angered the football Gods and therefore cursed the organization. Fan-fiction theories aside, whether it was an all-being power pulling the strings or simply a front office getting exposed, the Colts unfortunately seem destined for mediocrity under this regime.With starting quarterback Daniel Jonesout for the season with an Achilles tear and set to become a free agent, the Colts once again sit at a crossroads with nothing to show for: no division title, one playoff win after an unforeseen comeback a near decade ago, and no first-round picks for the next two drafts as they’ve reclaimed their VIP seat on the quarterback carousel.The Colts are poised to go 8-9 after a 7-1 start to the season, and not even draft in the middle teens like they’re accustomed to doing under this regime. They’re currently amidst the ultimate losing skid that was simply the last thing they could afford. They would become the first team since the 2012 Chicago Bears to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs.With no end in sight, should Colts Owner/CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordontake her own question and ask herself the same thing she asked Chris Ballard?“Do you want to Band-Aid it, or fix it for the long-term?”This is what Irsay-Gordon asked general manager Chris Ballard when discussing the prospect of swinging big on a trade for a superstar caliber of player in cornerback Sauce Gardner. While that question at it’s core implies that a future was bet on it, and therefore more time will be allotted to Ballard and Co. to right the ship, at what point do you say enough is enough and try to start anew?The job this Colts front office has done in an attempt to rebound from a franchise-altering move in the Luck retirement has been nothing short of commendable, but it’s also factually fallen short year after year. At what point do you take a step back, look at the many data points, and conclude that this very well may just be this team’s fate. Perhaps a full-blown reset with no semblance of the past is needed, so when do the Irsay daughters deicde to follow through with that? Surely they aren’t about to run it back for the umpteenth time.If Carlie Irsay-Gordon looks in the mirror and asks herself the same question, there’s a good choice she comes to the same conclusion that Chris Ballard did when he was asked that question: fix it for the long-term. And how does one do that? At this point, it seems impossible that waiting just one more year will solve anything. I’m not in the business of calling for jobs, but all signs are pointing toward running it back as being the Band-Aided option — even if there’s not much incentive to tear it down. It might finally be time to have surgery, not patch it up for one more season.