Colts fire general manager

Ryan Grigson spent tens of millions in free agency, trying to turn the Indianapolis Colts into a Super Bowl contender.

When most of those big investments went belly up, the first-time general manager paid the price.

On Saturday, Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Grigson after five up-and-down years that ended with Indy missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-98.

“It was a tough decision, well thought out and in the end the right decision for the Colts,” Irsay said.

Initially, Grigson looked like a genius.

He hit it big on his first four draft picks — quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen and receiver T.Y. Hilton — and used a series of shrewd, cost-effective moves to deliver one of the greatest turnarounds in league history.

But when Grigson’s costly misfires like firstround bust Bjoern Werner in 2013, trading a firstround pick for Trent Richardson in 2014 or loading up on a group of aging, high-priced free agents to make a Super Bowl run in 2015 and an anxious fan base, Irsay had no choice.

The timing, almost three weeks after the season ended, was strange — and comes after many thought the delay meant Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano were both safe.

Each agreed to contracts last January that was supposed to keep them together through the 2019 season. Thirteen months later, Grigson is gone and it appears Pagano will return under a new GM.

Packers add WR

The Green Bay Packers have signed rookie receiver Max McCaffrey from the practice squad, adding depth at a position plagued by injuries ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Offensive lineman JC Tretter, who had knee surgery this week, was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Saturday to make room for McCaffrey.

McCaffrey was signed to the Packers practice squad on Dec. 20. He initially joined the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Duke in May before getting released on Aug. 29.

Green Bay has listed three receivers as questionable for the Falcons game, including starters Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Nelson is recovering from broken ribs while Adams has an ankle injury.

Bradley to Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers intend to hire former Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator, the club confirmed.

The 50-year-old Bradley went 14-48 in nearly four seasons in charge of the Jaguars, who fired him last month with two games left in the season. Although Jacksonville never won more than five games in a season during his tenure, Bradley retained his reputation as a top defensive coach while the Jaguars finished sixth in the league in total defense this year.

Bradley coordinated Seattle’s defense from 200912, coaching current Chargers nose tackle Brandon Mebane and linebacker Korey Toomer.