After signing coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson to contract extensions, it appears that Colts owner Jim Irsay wants to keep the band together as he recently expressed his intention to lock up Andrew Luck as well. The quarterback is headed into the fifth and final year of his contract, and Irsay said that his goal is to get an extension done before the start of next season.
"If we don't get an agreement [this summer], we still have time. And he is going to be signed," Irsay told the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel. "There's a reasonably good chance we can come to that agreement this offseason. He will be here, trust me. Andrew and I have talked -- we talked after the end of the season -- and he couldn't be more excited."
As the Colts owner and CEO notes, the club does not have to come to an agreement with Luck this offseason. Unlike other 2012 rookies like Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, the 26-year-old quarterback's contract does not expire this year. Indianapolis picked up his fifth-year option that comes with first round picks. In other words, Luck is signed through the 2016 season, which would allow him to receive $16.155 million next season, according to Spotrac.
Luck had the worst season of his four-year NFL career. He only played seven games in 2015 thanks to injuries. He went 2-5 and one of his best games, which took place on November 8 against the Denver Broncos, happened to be his last game of the season. He sustained a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle during that match. Before that, Luck also missed two games early in the season due to a shoulder injury.
In his four seasons with the Colts, the quarterback has played in 55 games and completed 1,124 out of 2,106 passes (58.1%) for 14,838 yards (7.05 yards per attempt). He also had 101 touchdowns and 55 interceptions for a passer rating of 85.0, making him a considerably adept quarterback when healthy.
While the Colts retained some personalities in their ranks, the reshaping of their coaching staff has claimed some casualties, the most recent being linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald.
The team confirmed that it had parted ways with FitzGerald on Friday. He just completed his fourth season as the Colts linebackers coach. The 55-year-old coach had served in the said position since Pagano was hired him four years ago.
Before heading to Indianapolis, FitzGerald was the Baltimore Ravens' linebackers coach from 2004-07. He also served in the same capacity for the Washington Redskins (1998-1999) and the Arizona Cardinals (2001-03).
His departure marks the seventh from Pagano's staff. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, running backs coach Charlie Williams, tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts, defensive backs coaches Mike Gillhamer and Roy Anderson, and head strength and conditioning coach Roger Marandino were all fired on Wednesday.
