Unfortunately for the Indianapolis Colts, their terrible record this season cost many people their jobs. It was no secret that the final game of the Colts’ season was a lose-lose situation. By winning the last game they would have risked losing the first draft pick, but by losing it the jobs of Coach Jim Caldwell, vice chairman Bill Polian and general manager Chris Polian would be up in the air.

After the Colts lost their final game, it didn’t take long for team owner Jim Irsay to give Bill and Chris Polian the boot. Cutting these two men, who had been credited for the team’s success in the past, left Caldwell in limbo. Irsay planned to leave the decision up to the new chairman and general manager.

Once Irsay has hired 39-year-old Ryan Grigson as the new GM it was time to make the tough decision. While most people thought that the coach who had stood pretty solid before the most recent season would be around for the 2012 football season, Irsay and Grigson went in a different direction.

"We just came to the conclusion that this is best moving forward for the franchise," Grigson said, referring to his first major decision in charge of an NFL team. "Mr. Irsay is the steward of this franchise and I'm here to help him wrap his head around these types of decisions. We've been in football our whole lives and a lot of it is about instincts."

This is the first time that Irsay has done such a tremendous cleanout in over a decade. The last time so many people were fired was in 1997 when he replaced Bill Tobin with Bill Polian, coach Lindy Infante with Jim Mora and quarterback Jim Harbaugh with Peyton Manning.

With the Colts lined up to draft quarterback Andrew Luck, it still leaves a big question mark over Manning’s head. He’s had three surgeries during the last 19 months. His recovery hasn’t gone as quickly as it was expected to and his absence is the main reason this season went so horribly for Indy. Will Irsay be making another replacement before the 2012 season starts? The new GM says it’s all still up in the air.

"We're not even there with anything regarding Peyton Manning just yet," Grigson said. "We have to know about his medical stuff, first. There's so many things there."

One thing is for sure; the Colts cannot have another season like this one, and as big of a fan as I am, if that means replacing the star quarterback then they’ll just have to do it. Regardless, they need to solidify a more sturdy back-up plan for their offensive line.  Right now, the team is said to be considering Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo.

"This was a difficult decision," Irsay said. "I wanted to make sure we took all the time we needed to make sure it was the right decision. ... And just like 14 years, ago, it's a big change for the franchise and at the same time, there's players, coaches, many people on the staff that will go into the new day and get on with the work of 2012."

Sources: ESPN

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