Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family

The Colts shockingly fired Bill Polian on Monday. (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

The Colts allowed Jim Caldwell to conduct his normal press conference on Monday, but things took a turn for the crazy on Monday afternoon when the Colts announced a 5 p.m. ET press conference and reports emerged that owner Jim Irsay decided to "clean house" and fire Bill Polian and Chris Polian. There hasn't been confirmation of whether or not the team will also fire coach Jim Caldwell.

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That news comes from the NFL Network and it means the Colts are admitting what became obvious this year: the entire Indianapolis roster just isn't very good. Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star confirms that the Polians have been fired, but there's still no word on Caldwell.

Peyton Manning shored up many problems for the Colts, but once he was injured, the team was exposed and limped its way to a two-win season and the No. 1 overall draft pick. Polian was hired in 1997 by the Colts and won NFL Executive of the Year a whopping six times. From 1997 to 2004, he hit a number of home runs in the draft, picking up Manning, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Dallas Clark in the first round.

From then til now? Not so good: Marlin Jackson, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown, Jerry Hughes and Anthony Castonzo over eight different drafts is a horrible misuse of first-round picks, even if they were near the bottom of the first round.

The Manning conundrum looms as the spiciest offseason storyline. The Polians gave Peyton his contract (and obviously drafted him) but Irsay is a tremendous supporter of his franchise quarterback. Cleaning house could mean moving onto a new era (one that will presumably feature Andrew Luck under center) ... or perhaps the Polians were prepared to move along without Manning and Irsay wasn't ready to do that.

Whatever, as Colts center Jeff Saturday told our Colts Rapid Reporter Tom James on Monday that Irsay promised him "there will be changes in the offseason." Saturday didn't know what kind of changes those would be.

They are, quite clearly, large changes. An entire overhaul of the Colts organization, in fact.

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Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family

The Polians NEEDED to go and so should Caldwell. What a joke. You hand your entire offense over to one guy, the QB and no one else on the field even knew all the plays. Caldwell never gave his backups a chance to learn anything. The Polians cannot draft. Period. Joke after joke picks. This indeed tels me that Manning is gone. They will draft either RG3 or Luck and put him in right away next year. They need to tear it all down and start over. Only Matt Millen drafted worse.

Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family

HRUDEY3032 Since: Jul 14, 2007	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:35 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Its other way around,Irsay wanted to keep PM and Polian had been making stories up in reference to Manning. Manning is known to be very upset with Bill Polian around the Indianapolis market. [ Reply to Comment ]
billgriffith Since: Mar 3, 2008	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:31 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Wow! I agree. It may be time for the Polians to go, but i was a little shocked, to day the least. The Polians have been with Indy for so long that you just don't expect something like this to happen so suddenly. [ Reply to Comment ]
mar725 Since: Sep 2, 2006	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:31 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family The Polians NEEDED to go and so should Caldwell. What a joke. You hand your entire offense over to one guy, the QB and no one else on the field even knew all the plays. Caldwell never gave his backups a chance to learn anything. The Polians cannot draft. Period. Joke after joke picks. This indeed tels me that Manning is gone. They will draft either RG3 or Luck and put him in right away next year. They need to tear it all down and start over. Only Matt Millen drafted worse. [ Reply to Comment ]
bdgagnon Since: Jan 2, 2010	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:29 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family It was time to retool from the top down there is no way caldwell stays, new mgmt will want to bring in their own guy colts have two options once they hire the mgmt team: 1. deal peyton for whatever they can and rebuild over next 2-3 years 2. deal #1 and luck for a plethora of picks makes no sense to draft luck and keep peyton with so many holes to fix and talent, one or the other has to not be with the colts next year [ Reply to Comment ]
bigd13awg Since: Apr 1, 2008	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:27 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Polian's teams lost 6 superbowls including the one Caldwell gave away to "The Taints". Polian blows and should give his only ring to Peyton as he wouldn't have it if it wasn't for Peyton. GO HORSE! [ Reply to Comment ]
Kingratt Since: Dec 14, 2006	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:24 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Huh? Steve Smith was a great receiver long before Newton was drafted. [ Reply to Comment ]
bigd13awg Since: Apr 1, 2008	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:24 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family The only reason "The Taints" have a Superbowl win is because Jim Caldwell is the worse coach in NFL history. I know why "Taint" fans like him. [ Reply to Comment ]
Saintsnation86 Since: Mar 30, 2010	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:20 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Caldwell was the scapegoat and pastie throughtout his tenure in Indy,Peyton be gone next and be the Colts of the 80s and settle for less but on the bright side Luck or Griffin will be their # 1 pick. [ Reply to Comment ]
Saintsnation86 Since: Mar 30, 2010	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:20 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Caldwell was the scapegoat and pastie throughtout his tenure in Indy,Peyton be gone next and be the Colts of the 80s and settle for less but on the bright side Luck or Griffin will be their # 1 pick. [ Reply to Comment ]
Green Fingers Since: Feb 5, 2009	Posted on: January 2, 2012 3:19 pm Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family Polian may indeed need to go, but there's no doubt he is a great football man. He rebuilt the Colts after he left the Bills. You can argue that he burned out in Indy just like Buffalo but there's no question he took Indy from nowhere to the team with the best record and most post season appearances over the past decade, this year excepted. You can also argue that Indy should have won more Super Bowls with Manning because besides Manning and the receivers the offense and defense were pretty weak. Also, Polian's defenses focused on being small and quick instead of large and powerful, possibly a scheme problem started with Dungy. Either way, they seemed incapable of stopping playoffs teams. But now that the Polians are gone and Irsay is cleaning house I would bet the Colts will suck for the next decade. It will be interesting to see if Irsay keeps Manning. That only happens if Manning agrees to renegotiate or push back the $28 million payment due in March. Personally, I think Polian will let Manning go and draft Luck. Considering how much hype there's been with Luck I have a hard time believing he will perform up to his savior like expectations. If he doesn't, the Indy franchise won't be heard from for a long time. [ Reply to Comment ]

It was time to retool from the top down

there is no way caldwell stays, new mgmt will want to bring in their own guy

colts have two options once they hire the mgmt team:

1. deal peyton for whatever they can and rebuild over next 2-3 years
2. deal #1 and luck for a plethora of picks

makes no sense to draft luck and keep peyton with so many holes to fix and talent, one or the other has to not be with the colts next year

Report: Colts 'clean house,' fire Polian family

Polian may indeed need to go, but there's no doubt he is a great football man. He rebuilt the Colts after he left the Bills. You can argue that he burned out in Indy just like Buffalo but there's no question he took Indy from nowhere to the team with the best record and most post season appearances over the past decade, this year excepted. You can also argue that Indy should have won more Super Bowls with Manning because besides Manning and the receivers the offense and defense were pretty weak. Also, Polian's defenses focused on being small and quick instead of large and powerful, possibly a scheme problem started with Dungy. Either way, they seemed incapable of stopping playoffs teams. But now that the Polians are gone and Irsay is cleaning house I would bet the Colts will suck for the next decade. It will be interesting to see if Irsay keeps Manning. That only happens if Manning agrees to renegotiate or push back the $28 million payment due in March. Personally, I think Polian will let Manning go and draft Luck. Considering how much hype there's been with Luck I have a hard time believing he will perform up to his savior like expectations. If he doesn't, the Indy franchise won't be heard from for a long time.

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