INDIANAPOLIS -
Colts owner Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning say they had a long talk Friday and want everyone to know there are no hard feelings after this week's airing of complaints.
They issued the following statement:
"We would like to dispel any misperception that there might be any hard feelings between us.
Since 1998, we have enjoyed a great relationship, based upon mutual respect and trust. We have always been able to talk and address matters we've faced over the years, not just as owner and player, but as friends. We had a long talk today and we want to assure Colts fans everywhere that we are both committed to maintaining our close relationship and to working together through any challenges the future may bring."
Two days ago, Peyton Manning publicly complained about the dour atmosphere at team headquarters following a 2-14 season and a rash of firings.
Irsay introduced his new head coach and then stunned everyone by calling his franchise player a "politician" who had decided to air dirty laundry.
"I don't think it's in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't," Irsay told reporters, referring to the team's longtime logo. "The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he's always known, because he's been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other, it's not about campaigning or anything like that."
The comments suggested there was a rift between Manning and Irsay, who is just six weeks from a deadline to pay the four-time league MVP a $28 million bonus or risk losing him as a free agent. And it all blew up in public on a day the team desperately wanted attention focused on Chuck Pagano, the Ravens' defensive coordinator who takes over as head coach with a host of problems to address.
The biggest question mark is Manning, the face of the franchise and the primary reason for its run of success over the past decade. He is clearly upset with the fallout of the Colts' dismal season in which he never played a down after Sept. 8 neck surgery - his third such procedure in a span of 19 months.
In the past three weeks, the Colts have fired vice chairman Bill Polian and general manager Chris Polian, coach Jim Caldwell and most of Caldwell's assistants. Irsay hired 39-year-old Ryan Grigson as the new general manager and on Wednesday chose Pagano as Caldwell's replacement.
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