Indianapolis Colts team leaders had to step in and galvanize the locker room amidst top-to-bottom dysfunction within the organization, according to a new report.
Multiple players told the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder that team leaders recently held a players-only meeting in an effort to get the team to shut out the many distractions going on around them.
The distractions, it seems, run from the front office to the coaching staff. The biggest allegation is that the front office is making lineup decisions and forcing coach Chuck Pagano and staff to go along with them, meaning that several suggestions and requests from players are denied on account of the coaching staff’s hands being tied. The report also claims that the rampant speculation regarding Pagano’s future has affected the team, as the head coach’s contract is up after the season and has spent most of the year on the hot seat.
According to the players, the message to focus on football has been getting through, and the locker room is holding together despite all the organizational strife. The message no doubt came in handy when the team axed offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton earlier in the week. With all the conflict within the organization, it may help explain why the Colts are a disappointing 3-5. The Colts are a mess, and if the locker room can stay together despite that, they deserve a lot of credit.
