On February 7, only days after Super Bowl LII, Colts general manager Chris Ballard closed a stunning press conference with strong words: “The rivalry is back on.”
"The rivalry is back on" ud83dude2fud83dude2f
Colts GM Chris Ballard with the ud83dudd25 walk-off pic.twitter.com/X4KHGdAWuH
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 7, 2018
It was a reference to the ongoing competition – on and off the field – between the Colts and Patriots, the latest iteration of which had left Ballard’s Colts bereft of a new head coach.
Josh McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, wasn’t going to become the next head coach in Indianapolis, despite having previously agreed to do so.