Released by the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday, cornerback Justin Tryon suggested that the team's coach, Jim Caldwell, isn't calling all the shots when it comes to who plays and who doesn't.
"Caldwell wanted to start me but it wasn't up to him!" Tryon tweeted, according to ProFootballTalk.com. Another tweet later said: "IM BLESSED!! lay off of Caldwell he's a great coach! Peace."
Caldwell denied Tryon's comments Thursday.
"Well, probably without being boastful or seeming as if that I'm reacting to that particular statement, but I can just tell you that if I wanted him to start, he would have started," Caldwell said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "If I wanted him to be here, he’d still be here, plain and simple. I'm not going to carry on a back-and-forth, you know, because the young man did a good job for us while he was here and I hope he's able to land with someone else.
"You always say there's always sort of a three-pronged sort of a decision-making progress. All of us have an opportunity to talk about different issues, and we can certainly express our opinion. But in players and dealing with players on the field and that sort of thing, that's my decision. I get the ultimate decision there in that regard. That's the way it's always been."
Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers said Thursday that he was surprised at the decision to waive Tryon.
"It was sort of a shock to all of us," Powers said.
Colts owner Jim Irsay responded to Tryon's tweets Wednesday, defending the team's vice chairman, Bill Polian.
"Bill Polian is 1 day, going 2 The Hall of Fame, he knows what he's doing, and Coach Caldwell makes final call on who plays n who doesn't, period," Irsay wrote. "I already told some of u guys Coach Caldwell decides who plays, I would know, I own the team."
Tryon saw his playing time decrease this season after starting six games last year because of injuries.
The Star asked Colts defensive coordinator Larry Coyer last week why Tryon wasn't seeing more playing time.
"You know what, any of that stuff you have to ask Jim (Caldwell), to be honest with you," Coyer told the Star. "I like him a lot. He's competitive. But where that is, it's with our head coach."