ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano defended team owner Jim Irsay on Wednesday, the day after Denver Broncos coach John Fox accused Irsay of taking a cheap shot at Peyton Manning.

During a conference call with Denver reporters, Pagano said he has never heard Irsay say anything disparaging about Manning, who spent 14 seasons with the Colts before being released in 2012.

“I don’t think there is anybody that Mr. Irsay respects and cares for more than Peyton,” Pagano said. “What can’t you say about Peyton? What he’s done for this organization and this city, these fans and football, it’s off the charts. All I know is our owner has the utmost love and respect and passion for that guy, and always will.”

IRSAY: No regrets releasing Manning

FOX: Irsay’s comments ‘disappointing and inappropriate’

Irsay told USA TODAY Sports that the decision to release Manning was made in part to place a premium on Super Bowl rings instead of regular-season stats and victories. Irsay said the Colts’ “business model” needed a change.

Fox responded by telling SiriusXM NFL Radio that Irsay’s comments made him sound ungrateful for what Manning did for the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998.

Manning and Fox will meet with reporters in Denver later Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Irsay took to Twitter to try to clarify his comments to USA TODAY Sports that sparked the controversy.

Irsay’s Wednesday Twitter take included the following posts:

“My comments meant if we gave Peyton better SP Teams n Def,we would have won more than 1 Sup/Bowl, instead of asking Peyton 2do too much.”

“It’s hard 2C how any individual could understand them any other way,but CONTRO sells so I understand the games “Let’s get something started”

“Greatest QB of their era,which is obviously Brady vs Peyton(my vote’s Peyton),at least now the media will NOT use Sup/Bowl wins n debate!!”

“In that debate,the clock will spin swiftly back to October,2013…and theIr middle name will quickly endure a hyphen to add hypocrite 2 name”

Prelude 2 what I was talking about-ORGANIZATIONAL Model n Team building/discussed with J Bell; we committed 70% of cap on Offense n some yrs

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Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones

PHOTOS: Peyton’s years in Indianapolis