Barring a surprise trade for a kicker or some backup quarterback insurance, Colts general manager Chris Ballard seems to be staring at a fork in the road with two weeks remaining to the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline.

Well, maybe that’s two forks – starting with whether to make a trade at all.

Ballard famously has made a single trade at the deadline in his eight previous seasons – running back Nyheim Hines wanted out of a demoralizing 2022 campaign not even two years into a three-year deal. In those eight seasons, Indianapolis has finished right around .500 (or better) six times, and during none of them has the team’s front office pushed its chips toward the middle of the table in serious pursuit of a deep playoff push.

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