INDIANAPOLIS – Besides addressing the move from A.Q. Shipley to Jonotthan Harrison at center on Thursday, Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson also touched on several other issues.
Right tackle Gosder Cherilus was arguably the Colts' most consistent offensive lineman last season, but that hasn’t been the case this year. Cherilus has struggled blocking in recent weeks. It turns out he’s been dealing with a knee injury.
Cherilus has only been listed on the team’s weekly injury report once – the week leading to the Cincinnati game in Week 7 – because of an actual injury. It’s been classified as a rest day, something coach Chuck Pagano often does with veteran players, on the other days that Cherilus has been on the injury report. He has played almost every offensive snap since signing with the Colts in 2013.
“He’s been fighting through some things,” Grigson said. “He’s tough as nails, and sometimes that can be to his detriment. He wants to go out there if he’s got a limb hanging. We’ve got to try to watch what he does and make sure he can be ready and be out there. It’s a Catch-22 because he wants to be out there with his guys. He doesn't like sitting out. But he’ll get those things cleaned up and everyone has some things to get cleaned up.”
Here’s what Grigson said on several other topics:
On the Colts (5-3) being a championship-caliber team: “We went into the season, every season, that we can win a championship. I don't know why you get up every morning if you don’t believe that. I think the team we’re playing this week, my first month on the job I watched them win the Super Bowl and they were 7-7 at one point. So, this league is about peaking at the right time, getting your playmakers in a position to make plays, matchups, that ball in January and February, a lot of times it comes down to those physical matchups one-on-one, if you can beat the guy across from you. I feel like this is a championship-caliber team; we just have to be more consistent and keep learning from our mistakes, our losses, and so forth and put together four quarters like we have a couple times this year.”
On owner Jim Irsay: “With Jim gone, things are pretty well structured. Jim is always there for input, but he never forces anything down our throats. Just his presence, it’s great to see. Got alumni back. Taking a team picture, and everyone’s walking over, everyone’s walking over to talk to him. that’s something you can’t fake. These guys are beaming at seeing him, and hugging him, and he was the same way. Great for our players to see. That relationship goes back years and years, because that’s real. If you play for the horseshoe, you’re family.”