Colts firing GM Grigson after five seasons, report says

The Indianapolis Colts have fired General Manager Ryan Grigson, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday afternoon, citing an National Football League source.

Grigson has been the team’s GM since replacing Bill Polian in 2012. The team compiled a 49-31 regular-season record during his tenure.

The Colts went 11-5 and made the playoffs in each of Grigson’s first three seasons, but speculation about his future began to rise in recent weeks after the Colts missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

It was the first time the Colts missed the postseason in consecutive seasons since 1997 and 1998.

A year ago, Grigson and Colts Coach Chuck Pagano both had their contracts extended through the 2019 seasons.

The Colts have not confirmed the firing but have called a 5:30 p.m. news conference for an “important announcement.”

Grigson was named Sporting News' NFL Executive of the Year following the 2012 season, after the Colts rebounded from a 2-14 season in 2011 to go 11-5 and make the playoffs. The nine-win improvement was the third-best one-year turnaround in NFL history.

Grigson released former head coach Jim Caldwell after being hired and replaced him with Pagano and a new coaching staff. He drafted Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the team's No. 1 draft pick, along with three other draft picks who became starters: tight ends Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and running back Vick Ballard. Fleener and Ballard are no longer with the Colts.

Before arriving in Indianapolis, Grigson spent nine years with Philadelphia, where he became director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as college scouting director. He was an offensive lineman at Purdue University and played at Highland High School in northwest Indiana.

This story will be updated.