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Irsay confirms Manning won't be Colts' GM; Pagano safe for 2017

John Leyba / Denver Post / Getty

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed that Peyton Manning will not be in the running for the team's general manager vacancy, during his press conference Saturday.

The Colts fired general manager Ryan Grigson on Saturday, and the team will interview vice president of football operations Jimmy Raye III for the vacancy.

"I would welcome the opportunity for him and I to talk about that possibility someday that he would play some role in our organization," Irsay said of Manning.

"I think you have to remember that it hasn’t even been a year since the confetti fell from his Denver Super Bowl victory. He is enjoying retirement, enjoying the chance to not be downed in a schedule and that sort of thing. Right now, it’s something where he is not in the mix in this process for interviewing general managers."

Irsay also confirmed that Chuck Pagano will remain the team's head coach for the 2017 season.

"He is our coach for 2017. The new general manager will come in, evaluate our whole football program and we will see where we are at. Again, I hope Chuck can be our coach for many years to come. He is our coach this year. Going through this process and interviewing general managers and having whoever the new general manager is come in to work with me to evaluate where we are at will play a big role on that in the long-term. But for 2017, Chuck is our coach."

Irsay also denied any rumor of ESPN's Jon Gruden joining the organization.

The Colts' owner wished Grigson well going forward.

"We are extremely fired up going forward. But we don't ever celebrate a firing. Ryan was a good man."

Grigson was hired as the Colts' general manager in January 2012, previously working as the director of college scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 44-year-old was criticized for his management of personnel, and trading a 2014 first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for running back Trent Richardson.

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