Maybe this will be the season that the Indianapolis Colts take that seemingly little, but figuratively major step, from good NFL franchise to elite.
Or at least they better, for head coach Chuck Pagano's sake.
Pagano, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes, is set to enter a "make or break year" in 2015.
"Two sources briefed on the situation say the team is not expected to work out a contract extension with Pagano prior to the season, the final year of the four-year contract he signed when he was hired in 2012," reports Rapoport.
While Pagano has undoubtedly done well, taking a 2-14 team in 2011 and helping them to two first place finishes in the AFC South and progressively further advancement into the postseason each year he's been at the helm, the Colts remain somewhere in that NFL limbo just below the league's elite teams and just above the also-rans.
As Rapoport notes, Pagano can look to Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett for a success story of an NFL coach forced to enter the final year of his contract with no guarantee beyond.
Garrett, facing intense scrutiny, was eventually able to cash in after leading the Cowboys to the second round of the 2014 NFL playoffs, garnering a five-year $30 million contract from owner Jerry Jones.
Pagano led the Colts to the AFC Championship game this year against the vaunted New England Patriots, but the game's final outcome - 45-3 - proved just how wide the gap between the two teams really is. With franchise quarterback Andrew Luck already in place, the organization may feel that the team should be more than just competitive at this point.
Still, Rapoport says that the Colts brass has ample respect for Pagano, who was forced to miss a large portion of the 2012 season while battling cancer.
"Pagano has impressed the team's brass, but in part because of his illness, there have been only two full seasons on which to judge his prowess as a coach. The team will utilize 2015 to continue to evaluate him, while Pagano hopes to use it to achieve as much team success as possible, which would increase his value."
The Colts added Hall of Famers Frank Gore and Andre Johnson on offense and Trent Cole on defense during free agency so it's more than likely the product on the field will be improved next season.
Still, better players for Pagano means increased expectations for GM Ryan Grigson and Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay.
If the team should falter or miss the playoffs altogether, it could potentially spell the end for Pagano.
