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Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is out in Indy.
On Monday, the Colts said they “parted ways” with Bradley, the former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach and former defensive coordinator of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” units in the 2010s. Bradley joined the Colts in 2022 and survived the midseason firing of former Colts coach Frank Reich later that year.
Bradley was retained after last season, but his defense showed further slippage in 2024, leading to his dismissal. The Colts defense never ranked 24th in points allowed during the 2024 regular season and fell from 15th in yards allowed during his first season to 29th this season (361.2).
The defensive performance contributed to the Colts’ 8-9 record and fourth consecutive season they missed the postseason.
“I appreciate Gus and the commitment he made to the Colts,” said head coach Shane Steichen, who learned after Sunday’s win over the Jaguars that he would keep his job. “He is a man of great character and I have the utmost respect for him. I felt we needed to move in a different direction. I wish Gus and his family all the best moving forward.”
The Colts had some particularly ugly defensive performances; the unit allowed over 400 yards of total offense in six of its 17 games. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, asked Monday morning about the defense, lamented the regression.
“Since I’ve been a Colt, it’s definitely been our worst year defensively,” said Buckner, who joined the team in 2020. “I feel like at times it seemed like we were just a group of individuals out there.” – and so it seemed.”
On Monday morning, Steichen said the future of Bradley and other staff members was under review during an end-of-season news conference. But he highlighted poor tackles and explosive plays allowed as areas of concern.
“I think the biggest thing was addressing this year,” Steichen said. “That’s something that obviously needs to improve going forward. Obviously, we gave up some big plays that couldn’t have happened, but I will say those guys fought like crazy there on defense.”
The Colts allowed 115 explosive plays this season, defined as runs of 10 yards or more and completions of 20 yards or more. That was tied for sixth in this NFL and was an issue that plagued the team all season. It was a reality check for a defensive scheme aimed at avoiding explosive gains.
Furthermore, the Colts also saw a drop in production from their defensive line, by far the most expensive unit on the team. The Colts led the NFL in money spent on defensive linemen this season. However, the team witnessed a total sack drop from 51 last season to 36 in 2024. Meanwhile, the quarterback’s pressure rate fell from 38.9% of dropbacks to 31.5% this season .
Under general manager Chris Ballard, who will remain in his position, the Colts have shown a strong preference for four-man fronts and schemes that primarily employ zone coverages and limited blitz usage. It remains to be seen if the Colts will be willing to consider other styles of defense.
