For those who were hoping there was a chance new Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels would keep Gus Bradley on as his defensive coordinator, I have bad news. That ship has now sailed.
Bradley has been hired as the new DC in Indianapolis according to the Indianapolis Star and confirmed by multiple reports.
The Colts are hiring Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) February 4, 2022
Bradley had the Raiders defense playing very well late last season when the Raiders went on their playoff run. The surge was led by the pass rush, which is an area that has been a major issue for the Raiders for several years.
Along with being a well-liked and well-respected coordinator, Bradley had several of his former Chargers players join him with the Raiders, including Pro Bowl LB Denzel Perryman and the team’s top outside cornerback, Casey Hayward.
Other former Bradley players to make major contributions included DE Yannick Ngakoue and DT Darius Philon.
Hayward and Philon came on one-year deals, which means they will have to be re-signed if they are to stick around. The question becomes whether they will opt to do so with Bradley out.