Colts, Chuck Pagano agree to extension

Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Monday night the extension is for four years and is tied with general manager Ryan Grigson.

Despite a 30-24, regular-season-ending victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, it was a disappointing year for Indianapolis. On Monday night, the Colts announced Pagano would return for the 2016 campaign with a four-year contract. There was also Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer’s report that the 69-year-old Coughlin is expected to “ride off into the sunset”, and many reports indicated he would resign rather than force the Giants ownership into firing him after 12 seasons, two Super Bowl titles, and a 192-102 record in blue, red, and white.

Earlier in the day, Pagano informed players he did not know whether he was done as Colts head coach. Players declined to say what specifically was discussed, but many acknowledged Pagano expressed “love” for each of his players.

The Colts won a game to avoid their first losing season since 2011. But the unexpectedness of Pagano’s retention pales in comparison to the absolute shock that Indy has re-upped with both Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson, who have long clashed both personally and professionally.

“Winning five games the last two years, it’s pretty obvious there are going to be some changes made”, Griffin said. Basically, Irsay is saying that Ryan Grigson has had a better start to his tenure with the franchise than Bill Polian did.

Meanwhile, Pagano was reflective in his postgame press conference and said he wouldn’t change a thing.

But before things adjourned, Irsay took one last look around the media room and insisted on pounding home his point one more time: we’re a unified group and no one (Grigson) has been handling my head coach.

“He has given his heart and soul every day since I’ve been here under him”, Luck told reporters. However, after an 8-8 finish to his fourth season in Indianapolis, Pagano can focus on the draft and improving a team that struggled without star quarterback Andrew Luck. “I owe it all to Jim for believing in our vision”.

Plaguing Pagano throughout his time in Indianapolis has been a soured relationship with management, specifically Grigson, whom Pagano has butted heads with on more than one occasion. “I am super excited that he got another four years”.

Pagano described the experience as “a great day”. “I’m proud of the way we fought back”.

“To sit there and go 5-3 with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback and then to pull off, I don’t know if this has ever happened before in the history of the National Football League, where you bring in two guys off the street and basically get three days to prepare these guys and go win a football game”, Pagano said.

However, in a statement published on the Colts’ official website, the club made it abundantly clear why they have chose to stick with the current set-up for the foreseeable future.