The Indianapolis Colts have parted ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Bradley had been in charge of the defense for the past three seasons with two different head coaches. He came in to replace Matt Eberflus, who was hired to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
“I’m appreciative of Gus and the commitment he made to the Colts,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “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.”
Bradley’s defense in 2024 ranked 24th in the NFL in terms of points allowed, allowing 25.1 points per game. The unit ranked 28th in the NFL in 2023, allowing 24.8 points per game. The defense this past season also ranked highest in the NFL in terms of missed tackles. While Bradley’s defense showed improvement throughout the middle portion of the season, the 45-33 loss to the Giants where Drew Lock had 5 touchdowns was the final nail in the coffin.
The Colts were Bradley’s 4th stop as defensive coordinator, after previously serving with the Seattle Seahawks (2009-2012), the LA Chargers (2017-2020) where he worked with Shane Steichen, and the Las Vegas Raiders (2021). He also was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013 to 2016.
The move to depart from Bradley comes a day after owner Jim Irsay announced he would be retaining head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard. Those two will need to find a new face of the defense, one who will raise the level of play to bring it up from the bottom of the NFL.
