Forget taking a 2-14 Indianapolis Colts team and turning it around almost immediately. Forget a 33-15 record in three years as head coach. Forget methodically moving the franchise deeper and deeper into the playoffs with each successive season. Now, it seems that for Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, none of this really matters. Why none of it matters is anyone's guess, but despite his very good, if not necessarily stellar track record during his short time in Indy, Pagano's future with the organization remains very much in doubt, as highlighted by a recent report from Bob Kravitz of NBC affiliate WTHR.com.
Per Kravtiz, rumblings continue to persist that there are "internal problems," stemming mostly from the fact that Pagano wants more say in personnel decisions, leading to a situation wherein he and Colts GM Ryan Grigson don't see eye-to-eye. While every NFL front office is sure to deal with at least some level of disharmony, it seems the battles in Indianapolis have led to "a growing disconnect" between Grigson and Pagano. Complicating matters for the Colts head coach is the fact that he's entering the final year of a four-year deal, while Pagano is still in the midst of a five-year deal he signed in 2012.
The team has reportedly offered Pagano a one-year extension, but it wasn't for much and Pagano turned it down, likely because he's aware that the short term and low value means that both Grigson and Colts owner Jim Irsay aren't yet convinced he's the man to take Andrew Luck and the rest of the Colts team and turn them into a Super Bowl champion.
This isn't the first time that Pagano and Grigson's relationship has been questioned or the first time it's been suggested that Irsay and Grigson may not be sold on Pagano as "the guy." Kravtiz reported in March that a "disconnect" exists between the coach and the GM and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com added that in the eyes of Irsay and Grigson, Pagano was entering a "make or break" year in 2015.
Considering the elite abilities already exhibited by quarterback Andrew Luck and the additions of veteran standouts Andre Johnson and Frank Gore and rookie wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, it's not surprising that Irsay and Co. have their sights set on advancing beyond the AFC Championship Game next season.
While winning won't magically solve all the problems between Pagano and Grigson, it's certainly a salve that can cool high-running emotions and make rocky relationships suddenly seem much more manageable. Still, there's no telling at this point just where this situation is headed. Pagano is a good coach and Grigson is a good GM, but both men have their warts (Trent Richardson, who Grigson once traded a first-round pick for, was just cut by the Oakland Raiders). It seems, based on the tenor of reports, that Irsay is leaning Grigson's way at this point. Whether that lasts, remains to be seen.
