It once seemed a foregone conclusion that the Indianapolis Colts and head coach Chuck Pagano would part ways after a frustrating 2015 season rife with in-fighting and a massive statistical regression for quarterback Andrew Luck. Instead, as the NFL's Black Friday continues to slip away, we've been told that the Colts won't be making an proclamations about the future of the franchise or Pagano until at least Tuesday, and a further report suggests that the two sides continue to "discuss the future."
I'm told the #Colts & Chuck Pagano continue to discuss the future. Both sides evaluating the possibility of working together moving forward.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) January 4, 2016
Well, that's interesting.
Pagano was put in a tough spot from the get this season. Issues with GM Ryan Grigson and a reported one-year extension for the league minimum, turned down by Pagano, painted the picture of a head coach walking the 16-game plank, even if he didn't realize it yet.
Instead, Pagano and Colts owner Jim Irsay are reportedly still meeting as of late Monday, on the heels of what amounted to a lost 8-8 season.
Of course, how much of the year's failings can be placed at Pagano's feet, and how much belong to a bevy of failed personnel moves by Grigson - Andre Johnson, Todd Herremans, Trent Cole - couple with Luck's constant injuries, is for Irsay to decide.
One thing is for certain at this point - Pagano has the full and unwavering support of the Colts locker room. And if Luck comes back healthy next season, it really wouldn't be surprising to see a Pagano-led Indianapolis team thrive without so much of the background noise and political posturing from the front office.
