Indianapolis Colts Make Right Move With Contract Extension For Chuck Pagano

Pagano spent the final weeks of the season talking like a coach that was on his way our after four seasons.

The Colts announced Monday night that they have agreed to a contract extension with Pagano, who has been the team’s head coach since 2012. “It was something I was hopeful would be the case”. It’s important. You like to have continuity when you can have it. It was careful consideration-it wasn’t fan pressure, player pressure, or anything along those lines.

Only one opinion really mattered, though, and that was Irsay’s.

That process going forward will need a better collaborative effort. He said Pagano remained positive despite questions about the coach’s future. He coached at the college level from 1984-2000 with Southern California, Miami (Florida), Boise State, East Carolina and UNLV.

Pagano can count his lucky stars that he didn’t coach in Cleveland, where the Browns switch out coaches (and GMs) frequently. You have no playoff wins, and again, that’s with a Hall of Fame quarterback [Peyton Manning] and a Hall of Fame general manager [Bill Polian] now. That decision came shortly after the Colts decided on the future of their head coach.

Adam Vinatieri’s 35-yard field goal – his third of the game – with 2:25 left secured this victory for the Colts, who finished the season 8-8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

“He’s given his heart and soul every day since I’ve been here”, Luck said. “I’m grateful and I’m thankful to Mr. Irsay and his family for the opportunity that he’s given me”. “I owe it all to Jim for believing in me”.

Andrew Luck, the original starter and face of the organization, admitted that he learned a big lesson during the 2015 season. It was a step back, or a few steps backward for that matter.

The move comes as a surprise after the Colts went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

In addition, multiple reports had suggested a rift between Pagano and Grigson.

Freeman was 15 of 28 with 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Even though the season was not the best, the players, including linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, backed the contract extension. The Colts were in the AFC Championship game last season, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots. “I don’t see any reason for change”.

“I don’t think it was how any of us expected it to go”, Hasselbeck said.

“When I look at the old regime, the old era”, Irsay said, “you look at those first four years and you have two out of four seasons that were losing seasons”. If an off year is 8-8, some teams would give their right arm to go 8-8.

It is important to note that Ryan Grigson, the general manager, and Pagano reportedly have not gotten along at all in their history of working together. If he leaves that meeting without a job, expect him to shop the market, but if there isn’t anything there that makes sense for him, Pagano has a strong prerogative to join Michigan’s staff, and the Wolverines would be lucky to have him.

“I’m convinced that we have the right stuff on my right and left here to win a World Championship”, Irsay said.