Indianapolis Colts

Colts Doom Themselves Returning Chuck Pagano, Ryan Grigson

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:05 p.m. ET

Fansided, Joe Soriano/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson are expected to remain in charge for the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, again neglecting necessary changes.

Poor draft decisions and coaching blunders, such as this famous example from 2015, have marred the Indianapolis Colts with Ryan Grigson as the general manager and Chuck Pagano as the head coach. In the past, Andrew Luck was able to overcome these issues due to his brilliance at the quarterback position, but the organization’s failings are starting to show in the win-loss record.

Last season, the Colts finished 8-8, but Pagano and Grigson could point to Luck’s season-ending injury as the primary reason for their mediocre season. The same cannot be said for the 2016 season’s 8-8 finish, which left the Colts third in the division, ahead of only the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Colts owner Jim Irsay apparently isn’t worried about the Colts mediocrity, though. FOX Sports’s Alex Marvez reported on Friday morning that the team is retaining Pagano as its head coach for the 2017 season.

Source tells @sn_nfl that @Colts HC Chuck Pagano has received assurance from team owner Jim Irsay that he WILL return as HC for 2017 season

— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) January 6, 2017

This news was later confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

On top of that, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that we should also expect Grigson to remain the Colts GM in 2017.

Expect the same for GM Ryan Grigson. Irsay was a man of his word. https://t.co/fJtg9aeONr

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2017

If Pagano is back in the fold, then it makes sense for Irsay to keep Grigson with him. I mean, Irsay should fire both of them, but the fact of the matter is that it’s difficult to sell a credible GM candidate on running this franchise with someone of Pagano’s stature as the head coach.

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The Colts need to be careful here, because they could end up becoming the next Los Angeles Rams, with Pagano turning into the next Jeff Fisher.

While the decision to retain Pagano will get the most criticism, I would argue that Grigson has done an even worse job of running this franchise. His Ryan Kelly pick in last year’s draft was refreshingly simple, necessary, and not sexy. Grigson is well-known for his head-scratching gambles, including drafting Phillip Dorsett in the first round when his wide receivers were already stacked. His other draft (Björn Werner) and free agent (Erik Walden, Arthur Jones) busts pale in comparison to his historically awful trade for Trent Richardson, which robbed the Colts of a first-round pick for a player who isn’t on a roster—or in the league, for that matter.

Going back to the comparison to the Rams, at least Fisher had the excuse of never working with a franchise quarterback. Pagano’s had the benefit of a franchise signal-caller and talented weapons like T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Frank Gore (three of Grigson’s good decisions). Of course, Grigson should get no credit for drafting Luck, because that was the entirely obvious selection.

Pagano and Grigson are tied together, and this is one of those cases where you wish the owner weren’t so loyal to his coach and GM. The pairing of Pagano and Grigson has been given too many chances, and they failed in both the offseason and regular season when the goal should have been a division title. This year, the AFC South was there for the taking, and it’s fair to wonder if the Colts could fall to the bottom of the division if the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Jaguars continue to make improvements. With a move like this, it seems harrowingly possible.