The Green Bay Packers came up short of their goal to reach the Super Bowl in 2024 and it resulted in several departures this offseason. While they didn’t lose too many major pieces from their 11-6 squad a year ago, the Packers still had some players who chose to head to a new team as they looked for a bigger opportunity in 2025.
Unfortunately, those situations aren’t what they seem sometimes and leave a player wishing they would have stayed where they were. That includes a Packers defender who opted for a change of scenery during free agency this year and wound up in a situation that could leave him homesick.
Former Packer CB Corey Ballentine May Have Regrets After Signing with Colts
Former Packers cornerback Corey Ballentine decided to switch teams during free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. The decision may not have been his own after allowing a 110.2 passer rating in coverage over his career and a 112.5 passer rating last season but he was buried on a depth chart that included Jaire Alexander, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine.
While Ballentine’s performance didn’t convince the Packers he should be higher on the depth chart, he still could have had an opportunity in front of him had he stayed in Green Bay. Alexander has since been released, while Nixon and Valentine aren’t steady options along with the newly signed Nate Hobbs. Even though Ballentine may have never had the opportunity to return, it might have been a better option than joining the Colts.
The Colts are coming off a disappointing 8-9 campaign and do not appear to be laying the groundwork for improvement. Quarterback Anthony Richardson missed the final week of OTAs and all of mandatory minicamp with a shoulder injury and Daniel Jones is looking to revive his career after a disappointing tenure with the New York Giants.
More specifically for Ballentine, the Colts' cornerback depth chart appears to be full. Indianapolis signed Charvarius Ward to hold down an outside cornerback spot across from Jalen Jones and Ballentine is squarely behind Samuel Womack III, Kenny Moore, and draft picks Justin Walley and Hunter Wohler for a job.
Ballentine is likely more of a special teams player at this point of his career after posting a 53.5 defense grade on 75 snaps last regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. But with the Colts looking like a middle-of-the-road team coming into this year, there’s an argument that Ballentine should have stayed with the Packers to compete for a job or at least choose a different destination.