Recent reports and rumors from NFL insiders suggested it, but the Indianapolis Colts have parted ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after three seasons with the team.
Head coach Shane Steichen had this to say:
“I’m appreciative of Gus and the commitment he made to the Colts. He is a man of great character, and I have the utmost respect for him. I felt like we needed to move in a different direction. I wish Gus and his family all the best moving forward.”
This is a move that doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
The tipping point for Bradley was likely the Colts Week 17 performance against the New York Giants. In a must-win game while facing a New York offense that was averaging just 14 points per game, the Colts defense surrendered a hefty 38 points in that game, what Bradley called an “embarrassing” performance.
For the most part, the issues that plagued the Colts in that game–big plays and missed tackles–were problems that the team couldn’t’ overcome all season.
Of course, some of the responsibility for that play falls on the players on the field, but as the leader, game-planner, and play-caller for that unit, the results ultimately fall on Bradley’s shoulders.
There were some positives this season defensively, the Colts were quite good at generating turnovers and their best performance of the season came in an important game against Denver.
However, overall, the Colts ranked 24th in scoring defense, 28th in yards per pass attempt allowed and 26th in rushing yards per game this season.
It’s also not as if 2024 was the only down year under Bradley. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Colts finished those seasons ranked 28th in scoring defense.
With it looking like Shane Steichen will remain the head coach, it will be up to him to now hire a new defensive coordinator. This will be Steichen’s first endeavor into hiring this position as he inherited Bradley when joining the Colts last season.
(This article was updated to provide additional information.)
