INDIANAPOLIS – Even though Colts GM Ryan Grigson had to know the question was coming, he still seem rather annoyed and irritated early on in his Thursday afternoon Combine press conference when asked about his team's role in the NFL's ongoing investigation into the Patriots alleged use of underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game.
"Listen. You know, earlier in that week, prior to the AFC championship game, I mean we notified the league about our concerns," Grigson said. "We went into the game. We had some issues. But we're going to do what we can and that's to participate with the league in the investigation and wait for the Wells report to come out. We have no other recourse but to wait until that investigation comes about."
The league's investigation, led by attorney Ted Wells, has been ongoing since the title game and is expected to continue at least into March. It has been the centerpiece of endless media reports, many contradicting each other, and was a story that blew up in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
Grigson was asked when exactly his team became concerned about New England supposedly using underinflated footballs, as some reports indicated it dated back to the teams' meeting during the regular season in November.
"I'm not going into specifics," Grigson said. "Like I said the report should have all that information for everybody. But I just did my job and here we are, hopefully everything will come out and everyone will be able to have a clear look at the situation."
From a Colts perspective, do the investigation and allegations against New England discredit the Patriots 45-7 win over Indy in the title game?
"Like I said, we had concerns. Just like I think any general manager would do, wants their team to play on a level playing field," Grigson responded. "We took the proper steps to try and ensure that and it's up to the league to make sure that that happens. So, again, if rules were broken, we'll see. If not, you know, that's what the investigation is for. But again we're just doing our jobs and trying to ensure we give our team the best chance to win on a level playing field."
