Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Monday he’s not worried about his job. Perhaps he should be.
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the Colts have had “organizational discussions” about Pagano’s future. It’s hardly a surprise, given that Pagano is under contract through 2015 only — and given that the Colts are struggling at 3-4.
With games next Monday at Carolina and the following Sunday against the Broncos, the Colts could be 3-6 entering the bye, which could result in a coaching change. In light of the success the Dolphins have had after firing coach Joe Philbin at the bye following a 1-3 start, owner Jim Irsay may be even more tempted to make a change.
The broader question is whether Irsay would fire both Pagano and G.M. Ryan Grigson at the same time. If an owner decides to make a change at General Manager during a season, there’s no reason to delay implementing the decision; otherwise, the G.M. will simply continue to prepare for free agency and the draft on his current employer’s nickel.
Regardless of when, the “if” is quickly disappearing. Irsay expects multiple Super Bowl championships during the career of Andrew Luck, and the Colts are much farther away from that goal in 2015 than they’ve ever been since Luck joined the team.