Black Monday’s most stunning news is about a coach who didn’t get fired.
Chuck Pagano will return to the Colts and has agreed to a new contract, the team announced this evening.
That news comes as a total shock. It has been widely believed for months that Pagano would be gone at the end of the season even if the Colts made the playoffs. When the Colts fell short of the postseason, Pagano’s exit seemed to be a mere formality.
But when Black Monday came and there was no announcement of anything other than a meeting between Pagano and Colts owner Jim Irsay, it began to raise questions about whether Pagano had saved his job. And now it’s clear that he has.
Whether Pagano, Irsay and General Manager Ryan Grigson can all work together for the long term remains to be seen. But Pagano will get another shot, and will remain the Colts’ coach.