Would Indy really consider keeping Jim Caldwell? (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

Everyone in and around Indianapolis wants to know if the Colts will retain coach Jim Caldwell. Judging by reports, conjecture and general "feeling," it sure sounds like they will.

Mike Chappell, the Colts beat writer for the Indianapolis Star, wrote in a mailbag on Monday that he thinks Caldwell's coming back and that the Colts will announce it on Tuesday or Wednesday.

"I expect something to be announced Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest," Chappell said at the top of the entry. "And I expect Caldwell to return. I know that’s not what you or a lot of Colts fans want to hear. Just a feeling I have."

The Indy Star Twitter feed linked out to this "feeling" with the following wording: "Reporter Mike Chappell expects Colts to retain Jim Caldwell, announcement tomorrow or Wednesday."

Philip B. Wilson of the Star doesn't know whether or not Caldwell's coming back, though he writes that the rumors are that the coach is going to stay. He does believe that a) a press conference is coming soon and b) fans are going to be miffed.

"The weekend rumors are that Caldwell is staying," Caldwell writes. "Don’t know if that’s true. We expect a press conference in the next day or two."

Bob Kravitz of the Star agrees, tweeting on Monday that although the Colts "have not made a decision on Caldwell" his "gut says he stays."

Look, it makes sense that Caldwell would stay at this point. The Colts hired a new general manager. Presumably he's met with Caldwell. If Caldwell was getting canned, he would've been canned. Maybe the decision is inherently tied to keeping Peyton Manning.

Even Colts owner Jim Irsay's lyrical Twitter quotes are ambiguous these days.

"In the morning,you go gunning...4 the man who stole your water...." Irsay tweeted on Tuesday.

That's a Steely Dan line and it would make total sense for Irsay to go "gunning" for the man who stole his water (Caldwell's the only option left, right?).

Except that's a line from the song "Do It Again." Certainly Colts are hoping it's not an early requiem for 2012.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed

Archie says Peyton 'likes his roots' in Indy. (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

With three games remaining in the 2011 NFL season, it's just about time to flip into full "Where will Peyton Manning play in 2012?" mode. (Trust me: from February 8th to March 8th, you'll hear a lot about it.) His father Archie Manning said Sunday that Peyton would prefer to stay with the Colts.

Of course, as long as Eli Manning is playing -- he beat Green Bay at Lambeau on Sunday with Archie watching -- the Manning machine might as well already be started.

"Peyton kind of likes his roots in Indy,” Archie told the New York Post after watching his other son beat the Packers at Lambeau Field. "We’ll see what happens there. If that doesn’t work and he can get healthy we’ll see. That’ll all work out. He’s just trying to get healthy."

Archie was asked specifically about the rumors that the Jets could be interested in Peyton and declined to discuss that.

“I’m not going to get into that," Archie replied.

It shouldn't be surprising that Peyton wants to stay with the Colts. He's due a lot of money, it's the only team he's ever played for, he's comfortable with the organization and the idea of being discarded by the one team he's ever played for so they can draft a rookie with the first pick can't be comforting.

But Peyton has little control over whether or not he stays with the Colts. That boils down to his health, their specific plan to rebuild the roster and myriad other factors that will be fleshed out over the next month or so.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

By Josh Katzowitz

Much of the next generation of Colts leadership has been decided. After owner Jim Irsay fired Bill and Chris Polian -- but left coach Jim Caldwell in place for the time being -- the next step was to hire Ryan Grigson as the team’s next general manager.

Plus, the Colts reportedly have already decided, before Grigson was even hired, to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick of the 2012 draft.

Now, the last remaining major question is what Irsay and Grigson will do about Caldwell. As CBS Sports’ Charley Casserly reported on the The NFL Today, Grigson will meet with Caldwell this week and make a recommendation to Irsay about the next step with the team’s head coach.

As CBSSports.com colleague Will Brinson pointed out the other day, Grigson, the former player personnel director for the Eagles, could want to bring in his own coach, and one interesting name for consideration could be Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

But could Caldwell survive, just by the fact the Colts won two of their final three games of the season to avoid the embarrassing 0-fer?

If Caldwell doesn’t get much credit from many observers for taking the team to the Super Bowl in his first year in charge because his personnel was so damn good, shouldn’t he not take so much of the blame for this season because his personnel was so damn bad? I mean, wasn’t that the reason Irsay canned the Polian’s in the first place?

Besides, as Casserly talked about a few weeks ago, there was a strong sentiment to bring back Caldwell, because of the effort the team gave in 2011. That feeling, however, was expressed before Grigson was hired. And Grigson could be the one to change everything.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Ryan Grigson is the next Colts general manager. (PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

By Will Brinson

Ryan Grigson, the Eagles director of player personnel, was named the next general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, the team announced on Wednesday.

Grigson interviewed for a second time in Indianapolis on Tuesday and emerged as the favorite to land the job.


There are a number of issues Grigson will face when he steps into his new role, but the two hardest decisions may not even be on him. Colts owner Jim Irsay's said that he'll be handling the call as to whether or not Peyton Manning is retained and it's believed that the Colts are all but locked-in on Andrew Luck as the No. 1-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

One interesting aspect of Grigson leaving the Eagles after nine years is what will happen with Jim Caldwell. Caldwell's job is still safe, in theory, but it's hard to imagine that a new general manager would want an old coach running the show.

It may depend on what ends up happening with Manning, but Albert Breer of the NFL Network points to an interesting name: Marty Mornhinweg, the Eagles offensive coordinator.

Mornhinweg got a shot at a head-coaching gig once, but it didn't turn out too well: he went 5-27 with the Detroit Lions in 2001 and 2002.

It's believed that, at the very least, Grigson will end up bringing along some personnel with him to Indy, which could make for some interesting changes in Philadelphia as well. Grigson was promoted to director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as the director of college scouting.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Are the Cards a sleeper to make Peyton the next Warner? (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

The status of Peyton Manning with the Colts is absolutely up in the air, and a lot depends on the March 8 deadline for Indy to pick up his $28 million option.

While there's been some chatter that the Colts and Manning's camp discussed an extension of that deadline recently, CBS Sports Charley Casserly reported on Sunday's The NFL Today that it's not the case. He also reported that the decision on Manning's option will be made by owner Jim Irsay (not the new general manager) and that there's a darkhorse possibility to land Manning if he doesn't end up back with the Colts: the Arizona Cardinals.

"Jim Irsay in interviewing general manager candidates has told them he will make the decision whether Peyton Manning is back," Casserly reported Sunday. "He will not put that on the new general manager. Right now there have been absolutely no discussions according to the Manning camp between Manning and Irsay about extending that deadline. In fact, it would make no sense to me for Manning to agree to that. Why give up the opportunity to talk to other teams?

"One team to watch? The Arizona Cardinals. They can get out of the Kevin Kolb contract and also Ken Whisenhunt's been down this road before. A veteran quarterback coming in at the end of his career? Kurt Warner."


The Cardinals would be a shock to land Manning, if only because they haven't been discussed as a landing spot. But a healthy Manning would be an instant upgrade for Arizona and probably let them leapfrog the 49ers as NFC West favorites in 2012.

As for the extension talks, there's some thought that language in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement wouldn't even allow an extension of the option deadline.

Beside that point, Casserly's spot on: there's really no benefit for Manning to give the Colts a deadline, especially if they're set on selecting Andrew Luck in April's draft anyway.

The long and short of it is this: Manning's situation isn't going to simply go away between now and the deadline for the Colts to make a decision on his future in Indianapolis and even with the playoffs going on, it's going to remain a dominant NFL storyline.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Could the Colts and Manning extend his contract deadline? (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

March 8 looms large for the Indianapolis Colts, since that's the deadline for picking up a $28 million option on Peyton Manning's contract. But both Manning and the Colts could be interested in negotiating an extension on that deadline.

That's according to a report from Sports Illustrated's Peter King Saturday afternoon, where King said he's hearing that both sides are "amenable" to pushing the deadline back.

Latest Colts News

Katzowtiz: Colts locking into Luck at No. 1 Wilson: Irsay speaks on Manning, Polians, Indy Brinson: Colts can Polians, keep Caldwell Pasquarelli: Irsay would love Dungy as GM Eye on Football: Latest Colts news and notes

"Both may be amenable to pushing back that March 8 date by which he's owed $28 million in the option bonus by the Indianapolis Colts," King said Saturday.

CBS Sports' Charley Casserly reported back in December that the Colts would likely ask for an extension; it's good news for them that Manning's also interested in granting said extension. The Colts are also reportedly locked into taking Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, but pushing the deadline back on Manning may give them some flexibility there.

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy, now an NBC analyst, believes that Manning and Coach Jim Caldwell will return in 2012, and that the Colts will draft Luck anyway.

"I've know Jim Irsay for 10 years," Dungy said. "He's going to make these decisions with his heart as much as his head."

The Colts recently decided to "clean house," but kept Caldwell, at least for now. Given that he's making decisions on who will join his staff, he seems like a reasonable bet to remain through 2012.

Which could make the Colts search for a new general manager particularly interesting: whoever they hire will need to be on board with a) Caldwell as coach and b) Luck as the top pick.

And that doesn't even take into account the decision on Manning, which will have to happen eventually.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

By Josh Katzowitz

With Colts owner Jim Irsay currently looking for a general manager to replace Chris Polian, who was fired along with his father Bill last week, he won’t have to ask anybody he interviews how they’d handle the 2012 No. 1 draft pick. That’s because he already knows what he wants, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

As has long been suspected, the Colts reportedly will choose Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in April, and no matter who’s brought in to take over for the Polian’s, that decision will not be altered.

Some wondered if the reason Bill Polian was fired in the first place was because he and Peyton Manning weren’t getting along -- Irsay is an unabashed fan of his quarterback and thinks of him as family. Polian said the rumors of a rift were untrue.

"He was the first person into the office after it happened," Polian told the Associated Press on Wednesdasy. "There's no rift at all. None.

Now, though, the big questions continue to be what the Colts actually will do about Manning, who’s due a $28 million bonus in March. Would Manning want to play with Luck? Will Manning's neck be healthy? Would the Colts ship Manning somewhere else to give Luck the chance to play immediately?

Now that we seemingly know who the Colts will take with the No. 1 pick, we might have to wait a few more months before the rest of those other questions can be answered.  

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Irsay met with the media Monday afternoon. (AP)

By Ryan Wilson

Colts owner Jim Irsay held a late afternoon press conference Monday to talk about his decision to fire Jim and Chris Polian, as well as the organization's direction for the future, including the futures of head coach Jim Caldwell and quarterback Peyton Manning.

"I believe it's about timing, energy and what the times call for," Irsay said about parting ways with the Polians. "It was difficult but it was the right decision to make." He added that "I didn't come to this decision until this morning … to hold open the possibility of changing your mind, but i think it's best for the franchise."

Bill Polian, who had been with the organization for 14 years, was moving towards retirement and a lesser role, Irsay said. "Bill was around a lot more than he anticipated [due to the lockout], but … I think it was time to change the personnel department -- the football side of things that wasn't coaching. In the end i was certain that that was what was needed to be done."

The search for a new general manager will begin immediately although Irsay said that he hadn't talked to other teams or individuals about the position.

As for Caldwell, who was expected to be fired after leading the Colts to a 2-14 record, his job is safe … for now.

"[Caldwell] could very well be back this year, that is not out of the realm of possibility," said the Colts owner. "Jim and I had a good conversation in terms of the immediate future."

For now the plan is for the new general manager to decide Caldwell's fate although Irsay warned that things change by the hour. If a coaching candidate becomes available that the owner thinks immediately upgrades the team then he'll move. It's what happened when he hired Tony Dungy shortly after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired him following the 2001 season.

Black Monday

Wilson: Spags tenure in STL ends poorly Judge: St. Louis needs offensive-minded guy Freeman: Bucs evaluating Raheem Morris now Katzowitz: Jags looking to interview Mularkey? Brinson: Bolts to wait 'a couple days' on Norv Eye on Football: Black Monday coaching rumors

Irsay acknowledged that fans would probably like to see a change at head coach but supported Caldwell, calling him "a very bright guy, a great teacher, and a great personnel evaluator who prepares the team well."

But when you lose 14 of 16 games, there are issues and Irsay recognized those, too. He said defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was a mistake (not a "good match as a Cover 2 guy") and that Caldwell struggled at times with game and clock management.

Irsay was asked if he had any idea if Peyton Manning, who missed the 2011 season after multiple neck surgeries, would play again.  

"I don't," he responded, pointing out that this is more about Manning's health and safety than a football issue.

The owner did say that "When you see something that has greatness with your franchise you go after it. If you have a chance to get a great one you get it." He mentioned quarterbacks, general managers and head coaches as examples, but Andrew Luck seemed like the obvious choice given that Indianapolis has the first-overall pick coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Manning's future.

"I really feel excited about the possibilities of our future," Irsay said. "I'm interested in getting it right … not winning a popularity contest."

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're at it, add our RSS Feed.