Ex-general manager Ryan Grigson on his time with Colts: 'The quarterback got hurt'

Ryan Grigson went on the Kevin & Query Show on 107.5 The Fan Friday morning from the NFL Combine and spoke about his time as Colts general manager. Here are a few takeaways from the conversation:

'The quarterback got hurt'

Grigson was named the Colts' general manager prior to the 2012 season, taking over a team that had just gone 2-14, putting it in position to draft Andrew Luck. The Colts went 11-5 each of Grigson's first three seasons, going one step further in the playoffs, culminating with reaching the infamous Deflategate AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots after the 2014 season.

"I don’t think we could have been, by the book, on a better trajectory into Year 4," said Grigson who is now the senior vice president of player personnel for the Minnesota Vikings. "That’s life. You learn from it. I wouldn’t trade it. What it taught me going into the other roles has been seamless. It’s served me well."

When asked what happened starting in Year 4, Grigson responded: "Quarterback got hurt. It's that simple."

Insider: What the Colts are watching when scouting QBs at NFL Combine

Luck, of course, got hurt in 2015, played just seven games and the Colts went 8-8 each of the next two seasons, leading to Grigson being replaced by Chris Ballard. Grigson was not asked and did not address the reasons Luck got hurt. Many have pointed to the offensive line for not protecting Luck, though a scheme based on a deep passing game and Luck's unwillingness to avoid contact also contributed to the hits he took.

Grigson's proudest accomplishment with Colts

Grigson praised 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck for stepping in for Luck in 2015 and leading the team to a 5-3 record. Hasselbeck extended the Colts' AFC South win streak to 16 games before losing to Jacksonville on Dec. 13.

"(Hasselbeck) darn near took us into the playoffs, won a good number of games for us in Andrew’s stead, won us 16 straight division wins," Grigson said. "That’s the only ball I care about that I have from my time here, that was something that was special for me."

Though the Houston Texans were the only other team from the division to post a winning record during the streak, the Colts haven't won a division title since Grigson was fired. Indianapolis was 4-5 within the division to finish Grigson's tenure and are 17-18-1 under Ballard with notable recent struggles against Tennessee.

"Things didn't work out here," Grigson said. "We didn't win a championship; that's what you're measured on. We had a heckuva quarterback. I was charged with building a team to win in it all.

"Not putting together what would have won a championship (it my biggest regret). I don't beat myself up anymore; it's in the past. General manager's job is to take the bullets and build a team. I never doubted we'd win a championship; we didn't and that's life."

Deep roots in Indiana

Grigson also lamented that people didn't seem to recognize his deep connection to Indiana while he was general manager.

"A lot of people don't understand, my roots run much deeper than the Colts," he said. "I'm from Indiana. Met my wife (here). Went to Purdue. Played at Purdue. I have so many teammates and friends we made in Indy.

"I don’t think that was a connection people made for whatever reason. Part of it was I wasn’t a social butterfly with the media. That wasn’t how I was raised in this business. My focus was winning football games, doing whatever it took. I didn’t veer off that. In hindsight, should I have talked to my agent, 'On Tuesday, take an hour to talk to so and so, so and so and so and so.' I had ants in my pants. It was hard for me to stop and do those types of things."

Grigson also noted that returning here is no longer "weird."

"It was more weird (to be in Indy) a handful of years ago," he said. "It wears off. It takes everybody a little bit of time in this business after you get let go and you come back to a place. We had the game this year with the Colts (winning with the biggest comeback in NFL history). That chapter is closed. Couldn’t be closed any better."

Quarterback got hurt. It’s that simple.

Please support all media outlets that you can. Listen to the entire interview here: Kevin & Query Show - 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan (1075thefan.com)

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Former GM Ryan Grigson spoke on his time in Indianapolis