Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano could be in his last season with the team and reportedly has "doubts" that he'll be back with the Colts in 2016, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Chuck Pagano thinks 2015 could be his last season with Colts
Pagano “has doubts” that he’ll be back with the Colts in 2016 amid a reported feud with Ryan Grigson.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
There have been reports of a feud between Pagano and Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, but both have denied the claims. After a 20-7 loss to the New York Jets, Pagano made comments on the state of the Colts offensive line that many interpreted as a subtle jab at Grigson's assembly of the team.
“That’s been the case for three years now,” Pagano said when asked about Andrew Luck’s rushed decisions behind a collapsing line. “Has it not? He should be more than comfortable dealing with what he’s dealing with. We’ve got to get it fixed.”
While Pagano insists that he didn’t intend to take a shot at Grigson with the comment, there seems to be mounting evidence of a strained relationship between the two, and now Rapoport says it could end with Pagano leaving Indianapolis.
“So often we talk about coaches on the hot seat, the reality is, Pagano put himself on the hot seat,” Rapoport said. “He declined a one-year contract extension from the Colts, choosing to bet on himself and hopefully cash in at the end of the year. But now they have started 0-2 and, as I said, there are some doubts from him that he will return.”
Pagano's jabs at Grigson have been subtle, if there have been any at all, but if a feud exists between the two, the Colts would be wise to side with the team's head coach. Much of the team's struggles revolve around the failure to address issues in the offseason and instead build a fantasy football lineup with additions like Andre Johnson and Frank Gore.
Prior to his time with the Colts, Pagano spent three seasons as the secondary coach and one year as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. Grigson came to the Colts after eight seasons in the Philadelphia Eagles organization, beginning as a scout and working his way up to director of player personnel.
Pagano missed most of the 2012 season, his first with the Colts, while he dealt with an acute promyelocytic leukemia diagnosis, returning in time for the playoffs. In each of his first three seasons with the team, the Colts finished with an 11-5 record but lost in the postseason. A trip to play the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship last season was the furthest the team has been under Pagano and Grigson.
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