The Indianapolis Colts made the expected move of parting ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after three seasons. The team now has an opening to fill on the coaching staff, but how attractive is this role to potential candidates?
I believe that the biggest potential hurdle that the Colts could run into when trying to attract the top talent for this position is the long-term uncertainty around the futures of GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
While both will be back for the 2025 season, another year of missing the playoffs could mean that both are let go next offseason.
So then, what happens to the defensive coordinator in that situation? It’s not unreasonable to think that any new GM and head coach hire would want their own guy to fill that role–potentially leaving whoever the Colts do hire this offseason to be one-and-done at the position, largely because of the errors from previous years before he even joined the staff.
Roster-wise, there’s certainly talent for any incoming coordinator to work with. DeForest Buckner continues to be one of the more productive all-around defensive tackles in the game. Grover Stewart is very good against the run and the Colts just utilized a first-round pick on Laiatu Latu.
We also the saw the emergence this season of Nick Cross, Samuel Womack, and Jaylon Jones in the secondary.
However, having said that, while ultimately the poor defensive play falls on Bradley’s shoulders as the leader of that unit, the players are very much responsible as well and the issues that the Colts face go well beyond just the Xs and Os.
After the defenses “embarrassing” performance against the New York Giants, Bradley said that while there is accountability in the building, there needs to more ownership among the players. Then on Monday, Buckner added that egos were a contributing factor to the issues the defense faced this season.
As far as Ballard’s role in all of this, the new defensive coordinator will be getting a GM willing to invest premium draft capital into the defensive front, but if he’s hoping for some free agency help to fix current roster holes right away, well, that hasn’t been the case in Indianapolis.
Admittedly, I’m not sure how much weight the final two points that were made here will carry in any decision making, but that first one is certainly something a candidate could consider, particularly if there are offers from other teams on the table.
That long-term stability is important, as it would be in any job, and I don’t think the Colts can provide that with any certainty.