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Gus Bradley

Nick Sorensen Won’t Return As 49ers Defensive Coordinator

January 7th, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers will be seeking their fourth defensive coordinator in four years. Nick Sorensen won’t return as the 49ers defensive coordinator in 2025, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

However, Sorensen’s stint in San Francisco may not be over. Maiocco adds that the 49ers are hoping they can keep the coach on Kyle Shanahan’s staff for next season. One option could be special teams coordinator, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes. The 49ers fired ST coordinator Brian Schneider the other day, and Sorensen served in that role during his time with the Jaguars.

After ranking third in points allowed in 2023, the 49ers dropped to 29th during Sorenson’s first season at the helm. The defense also struggled to generate turnovers, with Cam Inman of the Mercury News noting that the team had zero interceptions over their final seven games and only one fumble recovery over their final 11 games.

There was hope that Sorenson would help guide the 49ers to a new level after the team fired Steve Wilks last offseason. The former NFL journeyman moved quickly through the coaching ranks in San Francisco, where he worked his way up from a defensive assistant to defensive pass game specialist to defensive coordinator in three seasons. In addition to his one-year stint as Jaguars ST coordinator, Sorenson also had experience coaching defense with the Seahawks, where he served as the team’s secondary coach during the final seasons of the Legion of Boom era.

While the 49ers dealt with a long list of injuries, the team clearly wasn’t willing to tolerate the clear regression from the defense in 2024. Now, the organization will be seeking their fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons. Prior to Wilks one-year stint as defensive coordinator, DeMeco Ryans spent two years in the role before becoming head coach of the Texans.

Ryans’ predecessor, Robert Saleh, could be a candidate to take over for Sorenson, as Inman notes. Saleh spent four years as San Francisco’s defensive coach before leaving to become the Jets head coach in 2021. He was canned by the Jets earlier this season before catching on as a consultant in Green Bay, and he’s already emerged as a candidate for the Jaguars head coaching vacancy. It’s more likely that Saleh’s return to coaching will require a stop as coordinator, and a familiar spot in San Francisco could be his softest-possible landing.

Inman also points to Jeff Ulbrich and Gus Bradley as potential candidates for the 49ers new DC opening. Ulbrich most recently served as Saleh’s interim replacement in New York, and that was preceded by a three-plus-year stint as the Jets DC. The veteran coach crossed paths with Shanahan in Atlanta, and he spent his entire 10-year playing career in San Francisco.

Bradley and Shanahan have never worked alongside each other, but the veteran coach brings plenty of experience. Bradley most recently served as the Colts defensive coordinator, a role he held for three seasons before getting dismissed yesterday. Bradley also held DC roles with the Raiders, Chargers, and Seahawks, and he had a four-year stint as head coach with the Jaguars.

Colts Fire DC Gus Bradley

January 6th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts are moving on from their veteran defensive coordinator. Jim Irsay announced Monday that the team is not bringing back Gus Bradley.

The former Jaguars HC and four-time NFL DC had been in Indianapolis for the past three seasons. Despite having worked with Shane Steichen with the Chargers as well, he will not come back for Steichen’s third Colts campaign. This comes two weeks after the Colts allowed 45 points to a 2-13 Giants team starting Drew Lock; that loss eliminated Indianapolis from the playoff race.

[RELATED: Colts To Retain Steichen, GM Chris Ballard]

Bradley had been rumored to be on the hot seat, with SI.com’s Albert Breer suggesting he would be the fall guy after a tough year on defense. Indy stuck with Bradley despite poor defensive numbers last season, and the former Pete Carroll assistant is back on the market. Bradley, 58, has been either a defensive coordinator or head coach since 2009. Seahawks, Chargers, Raiders and Colts DC assignments have sandwiched a woeful Jaguars HC tenure.

Hired to be part of Frank Reich‘s staff in 2022, Bradley could not turn the Colts into an upper-crust defense. Matt Eberflus had Indy as a top-10 scoring unit three times from 2018-21; Bradley has been unable to lead this unit inside the top 20. After back-to-back 28th-place finishes, Bradley’s troops checked in 24th this season. This may be a crossroads point for the veteran assistant, though he has enjoyed success prior to his Indiana stay.

Bradley and Steichen overlapped with the Bolts from 2017-20, with the former heading to Los Angeles after his Jacksonville ouster. Bradley exited Florida with the fourth-worst win percentage (.226) in NFL history. Hue Jackson and Steve Spagnuolo check in below Bradley on that all-time list; the latter’s number with the Rams has hurt him on the HC market, despite a wildly successful Chiefs DC tenure. Bradley has been unable to match Spagnuolo’s Kansas City coordinator work, but he has been regularly sought after since the Jaguars firing.

Anthony Lynn hired Bradley in 2017, while Jon Gruden picked him up after Lynn’s 2020 ouster. As the Raiders cleaned house in 2022, Bradley found his way to Indianapolis. Bradley’s best work remains his 2012 Seahawks defense, which booked him the Jags job and set him up for other DC opportunities down the road. Seattle led the league in scoring defense in 2012, with that defensive system later aiding Dan Quinn and Kris Richard. Bradley’s zone-based system peaked a bit ago, however, and the Colts are set to go in a different direction.

The Colts played almost all of this season without JuJu Brents, a former second-round pick who was supposed to be the team’s top outside corner, and all of it without EDGE starter Samson Ebukam. The latter was part of the Colts setting an Indianapolis-era franchise record with 51 sacks last season. Ballard has also taken criticism for a largely inward-only approach on his roster. That blueprint has largely failed to pay off, but while Ballard will see more time, Bradley is out.

Colts To Retain HC Shane Steichen, GM Chris Ballard

January 5th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite recent speculation that Colts general manager Chris Ballard‘s job could be in danger, team owner Jim Irsay has released a statement on X announcing that Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen will be returning to lead the team in 2025.

Ballard, who just finished his eighth season as GM in Indianapolis, has been under heavy fire by the media lately. During his tenure, the Colts have failed to win a single division title. The team started season 4-3 with wins over the Steelers and Dolphins, but a three-game losing streak followed by alternating wins and losses to close the year left the Colts at 8-9 and two spots out of the playoffs. This is the sixth time in Ballard’s eight years that Indianapolis has missed the playoffs and the fourth season in a row.

While Ballard was considered to be on the hot seat, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Steichen was likely to return as head coach. Only in his second season as head coach, Steichen has gone a consistent 17-17 as the skipper of the Colts.

If there is indeed a problem in the leadership in Indianapolis, it may be communication. There have been rumblings of a lack of direction as well as some “public misconceptions due to the relatively high level of secrecy within the building.” This has been especially the case surrounding the handling of the starting quarterback position and the benching of top 2023 draft pick Anthony Richardson. The perception is that the communication issues have been in the building for years, but with Steichen as head coach, the issues have improved.

If there is a coaching change, though, Jones anticipates that it could come on defense. With the team entering Week 18 at 27th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley may not end up returning to coach the defense in 2025.

As for Ballard and Steichen, Irsay’s comments seem to indicate that no changes will be made. The team will hope to find it’s direction under year nine of Ballard and year three of Steichen.

Colts To Retain DC Gus Bradley

January 12th, 2024 at 9:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts’ loss in Week 18 left them just shy of a playoff position, and struggles on defense were a constant throughout the season. Despite that, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will be retained, general manager Chris Ballard confirmed in his end-of-year press conference.

“I know that’s been a hot topic for everybody, and it’s an area we need to improve,” Ballard said, via the Indy Star’s Joel A. Erickson. “But in a little bit of defense, the year before, [Bradley] comes in, and we kind of had, I don’t want to say a veteran team, but we had some veteran players, and I just said, ‘Look, we’re going to go young in some spots [in 2023], and we went young in the secondary.”

Indeed, Indianapolis turned to a number of inexperienced options at the corner and safety spots, enjoying mixed results along the way. The team ranked 16th in the league in terms of passing yards allowed per game, but breakdowns on the backend hindered the unit. Injuries to cornerbacks Julius Brents and Dallis Flowers also left the team shorthanded for long stretches of the season.

The Colts’ front seven had a strong campaign in terms of pass rush production, posting 51 sacks. That figure ranked fifth in the league, but the team struggled against the run in addition to its errors in the secondary. As a result, the Colts surrendered 350 yards per game (24th in the NFL) and 24.4 points per contest (28th). Improvements in both respects will be a top priority this offseason.

“The points do need to come down,” Ballard added. “We’ll continue to have long discussions about where we’re going and how we’ll get that done, but saying that, we had new starters on defense. We did do some good things, too.”

Bradley took over the Colts’ DC job in 2022 after Matt Eberflus was hired as the Bears’ head coach. Indianapolis posted middling numbers in several categories last year, but he received a vote of confidence following the campaign After a 2023 season which included the decision to move on from former All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard as part of the overall goal of getting younger (and healthier) at a number of positions, both Bradley and head coach Shane Steichen will remain in place.

The latter showed promise in his first year as a head coach, and prior to his season-ending injury, quarterback Anthony Richardson flashed potential as well. Those factors will lead to optimism on offense, but the team’s defense will be a unit to watch closely moving forward. Roster changes will no doubt be coming, but there will at least be stability on the sidelines.

LB Shaquille Leonard Frustrated With Role

November 10th, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year saw the most limited season of Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard‘s career. As he continues to work his way back from the injury that derailed his 2022 season, his defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has publicly disclosed that Leonard is still on a timeline that will determine how soon he is able to return to a full-time role, with the current goal being sometime this month, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports.

A three-time first-team All-Pro, Leonard was suffering a persistent back injury that limited him to only three games last year. Back surgery aimed at addressing the issue occurred before the 2022 season, forcing him to miss the first three games of the year. When he finally made his season debut, he only saw 16 snaps before exiting with a concussion. He would eventually play limited snaps in two more games before being placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the year after undergoing a second back surgery.

Since coming back, Leonard has returned to a starting role, playing in eight of the team’s nine games so far this year. While he’s looked a bit like his old self, flying all over the field in order to be a top-four tackler on the team, the staff has been a bit disappointed by his lack of flash plays. Usually a disruptive turnover machine, Leonard has forced no fumbles, has broken up or intercepted zero passes, and has been unable to land a hit on an opposing quarterback, while accumulating only two tackles for loss.

While he’s been starting, Leonard has still been on a limited snap count, while fellow Colt Zaire Franklin, the NFL’s leading tackler, has seen virtually every defensive snap of the season for Indianapolis. He recently voiced his displeasure with the situation, according to Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star, claiming he wants to be on the field 100 percent of the time. “My patience was kind of thrown out the window,” Leonard told the media. “I want to be on the field. If I want to buy a ticket, I can sit in the stands or something.”

Bradley told the media that he understands Leonard’s frustration and wants him to keep that hunger but was clear that the plan would remain the same, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. Even last week, when Franklin was forced to miss the Colts’ contest in Carolina, instead of bumping up the playing time of Leonard, the staff turned to second-year undrafted backup Segun Olubi. Olubi saw 100 percent of the team’s snaps in his first start last weekend; Leonard saw only 55 percent.

ESPN’s Stephen Holder offered another perspective of Leonard’s struggles to return to the field full-time, suggesting that the defensive scheme could have something to do with it. Bradley only joined the Colts coaching staff last year, a season in which Leonard barely saw the field. Leonard was previously the centerpiece of former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus‘ system, allowing him to roam and make plays using his instincts.

Bradley’s new system tends to funnel plays to the middle linebacker, allowing Franklin more opportunities to make plays on the ball than Leonard gets at his weakside position. It requires much more structure from Leonard, especially by asking him to take on more blocks, a difficult role for one of the league’s smaller linebackers to strive in.

While it has not been suggested anywhere, there’s reason to believe these scheme issues could lead to Leonard’s eventual exit from Indianapolis. Leonard holds a $19.79MM cap hit this year, and it’s set to only get bigger over the next two seasons. If Leonard isn’t able to return to his regular All-Pro level of play in Bradley’s system, there isn’t much need for the Colts to dedicate such a high portion of their salary cap to retain him.

Speculation aside, Leonard will soon be able to return to a full-time role, if Bradley stays true to his word. A full-strength Leonard will finally have a chance to show his potential in Bradley’s system. Hopefully, Leonard will look more like his former self in the closing weeks of the season. If not, though, the Colts may have some questions to answer moving forward.

Colts Won’t Re-Sign DE Yannick Ngakoue

April 20th, 2023 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

A number of veteran edge rushers went unsigned during the initial waves of free agency, and will now wait until after the draft to land their next deals. One player falling into that category is Yannick Ngakoue, who is poised to be on the move once again.

The 28-year-old joined the Colts last offseason when the Raiders traded him for corner Rock Ya-Sin. That continued Ngakoue’s trend of bouncing around the league, after he had prior stints in Jacksonville, Minnesota and Baltimore. The move marked the third time that he played under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, and paid off in at least one statistical department.

Ngakoue led the Colts in sacks in 2022 with 9.5, something which comes as little surprise given his prowess as a sack artist throughout his career. The former third-rounder has collected no fewer than eight sacks in any single season, and has racked up 65 in 110 games in the NFL. However, he totaled 44 pressures per PFF, the second lowest total of his career, while delivering an underwhelming performance against the run. That has led the team in a different direction to fill his spot.

“We lost Yannick Ngakoue,” Bradley recently said, via Joel Erickson of the Indy Star. “He was a tremendous player for us. That’s the NFL. There’s some times you bring new guys in, and they have to step up, and every year’s a new year with the team.”

The Colts added ex-49er Samson Ebukam on a three-year deal worth up to $27MM. Ebukam will be tasked with providing a consistent pass rushing presence off the edge, but his run defense will set him apart from Ngakoue as the team looks to take a needed step forward in all areas in 2023. For the latter, Bradley’s remarks confirm he will need to head elsewhere and quite probably join a sixth different team in the post-draft free agent market.

Ngakoue – who expressed optimism in the summer about Indianapolis representing a long-term home – is joined by the likes of Frank Clark, Leonard Floyd and Robert Quinn as veteran pass rushers who remain unsigned. That may not be the case for much longer, but in any event, he will not be back with the Colts in 2023.

Colts To Retain DC Gus Bradley

February 27th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts have undergone several changes on the sidelines this offseason, but their defense will be led by a familiar face. Gus Bradley will remain in place as the team’s defensive coordinator, as reported (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

[RELATED: Colts Hire Cooter As OC]

The 56-year-old joined the Colts last offseason after Matt Eberflus took the head coaching job in Chicago. He and the unit carried significant expectations heading into the season, but hardly anything went according to plan in 2022 in Indianapolis. The team’s midseason firing of Frank Reich was followed by a freefall under Jeff Saturday, leaving them with a 4-12-1 record.

The offense was at the heart of much of the Colts’ struggles, of course, as the acquisition of Matt Ryan didn’t stabilize the quarterback position. Defensively, Indianapolis had a mixed bag of results; the team surrendered just over 25 points per game, which ranked 30th in the league, but they finished mid-pack in terms of yards allowed. Bradley’s unit also fared relatively well against the run and posted 44 sacks.

Upon the hiring of Shane Steichen as head coach and offensive play-caller, attention turned to whether or not Bradley and his staff would remain in place. The pair worked together with the Chargers from 2017-20, so it came as little surprise that the Colts blocked Bradley from pursuing other coordinator vacancies. Steichen did not firmly commit one way or the other with respect to Bradley’s future during his introductory press conference.

Given the interest he and other Colts HC candidates had in keeping Bradley, though, this news represents an expected outcome. Continuity will likely be a welcomed sight on a staff which has a new head coach and offensive coordinator, and the former Jaguars bench boss will work for at least a second season in his fourth DC position. A rebound on offense will no doubt help Bradley and the Colts’ defense in 2023, a campaign in which the team will be expected to take a significant step forward.

Shane Steichen To Call Colts’ Plays, Does Not Commit To Retaining Gus Bradley

February 14th, 2023 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Sirianni handed play-calling duties to Shane Steichen midway through the 2021 season. Brian Daboll just won Coach of the Year honors after he named Mike Kafka as the Giants’ offensive play-caller. The Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy hire did not change Kellen Moore‘s status as the team’s play-caller for the past three seasons.

Steichen will, however, take the more traditional approach for offense-oriented head coaches in Indianapolis. The new Colts HC confirmed Tuesday he will call plays. The Colts will look for a non-play-calling OC in the coming days and, perhaps, weeks. But they will entrust their 37-year-old HC to right the ship offensively.

The Colts’ latest HC contract reflects their confidence in Steichen. The deal is for six years, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This matches the Texans’ DeMeco Ryans pact. Indianapolis is not in the same boat as its AFC South rival, having finished over .500 in three of Frank Reich‘s four full seasons. But the Colts went through a rather turbulent year. A six-year offer — longer than Reich’s initial pact — makes for a more attractive sales pitch in the wake of that.

Gus Bradley attended Steichen’s Tuesday press conference, and Stephen Holder of ESPN.com tweets Indy’s defensive staff was at the presser en masse. Late in the lengthy search process, Bradley became a candidate to stay in Indy. Several candidates were believed to be high on Bradley, leading the Colts to block him from interviewing for another DC position. The Panthers were interested in Bradley, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. That would have reunited him with Reich, but with Bradley blocked, Carolina brought in popular HC candidate Ejiro Evero.

The Colts not only blocked Bradley, but Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star notes the team prevented linebackers coach Richard Smith and defensive backs coach Ron Milus from exploring lateral moves. Of the Indy candidates, a connecting Bradley to Steichen was easiest. The two worked together with the Chargers for four years, finishing up that run as an OC-DC tandem. Milus and Smith worked with Bradley in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Steichen stopped short of committing to Bradley and his defensive staff, however, leaving his staff in limbo still.

“That’s the next process that I’m going to go through, is hiring a staff,” Steichen said of keeping Reich holdovers. “Those guys, we’ll have those conversations in the next few days.”

Indianapolis conducted a thorough search, debating on third interviews with candidates. Although the franchise decided against that unexplored avenue, Steichen landed the job more than three months after the team fired Reich. Jim Irsay used Philip Rivers as a Steichen sounding board, Holder adds (on Twitter), with the longtime Charger QB and 2020 Colts passer calling the young coach “savant-like.” Rivers worked with Steichen for six seasons, the final four as his position coach.

The Eagles finished third in both points and yards on offense this season, after ranking outside the top 10 in each category in 2022. Steichen will head to Indiana after Jalen Hurts accounted for nearly 400 yards in Philadelphia’s narrow Super Bowl LVII loss.

For a while, it appeared Jeff Saturday was in play to stay on in this role. Irsay stunned the football world and angered many around the league by naming the former Pro Bowl center-turned-ESPNer as his interim HC. Despite going 1-7 during his first NFL or college coaching gig, Saturday interviewed twice for the full-time job. Saturday wished Steichen well and thanks Colts fans, including those that signed a petition for Irsay not to give him the full-time gig.

“I’m so grateful for the last eight weeks of the season and the opportunity to represent you guys,” Saturday said (video link). “I appreciate the coaches for all your time, energy and effort. … It was an absolute blessing. I look fondly upon it. Wish we would’ve done better. But ultimately, that is where it is.

“… So, for everybody out there — including however many thousand who signed a petition, which may have included my wife and son, not exactly sure. But in all honesty, I’m so grateful for Colts nation and who you are. To represent the horseshoe, it meant the world to me.”

Colts Unlikely To Conduct Third HC Interviews; Team Pivoting Away From Jeff Saturday?

February 9th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have delivered this hiring period’s top non-Sean Payton-related headlines. Both the team’s steady interest in retaining Jeff Saturday and its connection with a third round of interviews have injected confusion into a drawn-out search.

As this process (presumably) hits the homestretch, neither may be in the equation any longer. Saturday is not expected to be named the full-time Colts head coach, Zak Keefer of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Colts are also unlikely to follow through with the rumored third sets of interviews. With the Colts’ second round of meetings lasting between 10 and 12 hours, it would seem unnecessary for the team to buck tradition and bring in candidates for third summits.

[RELATED: Who Will Become Next Colts HC?]

Jim Irsay‘s fondness for Saturday has kept the interim coach in the picture, with Keefer not completely ruling out another surprise decision from the owner. Nearly three months after GM Chris Ballard and others attempted to dissuade Irsay from naming Saturday interim HC, the owner heard more pitches against removing Saturday’s interim label. No team has promoted an interim coach to a full-time position since the Jaguars did so with Doug Marrone in 2017.

Saturday, who went 1-7 after moving from an ESPN analyst role to coaching his former team, being out of the running would ensure a more experienced coach leads the Colts in 2023. Among a host of finalists, one name might be worth monitoring. Irsay is believed to have flown to Philadelphia to meet with Eagles OC Shane Steichen ahead of his interview with Ballard the next day, Keefer adds. Steichen cannot be hired until after Super Bowl LVII. With the Colts not expected to make a hire until after Sunday’s season-ender, Steichen should probably be considered a true finalist. The Colts are believed to have winnowed down their list to a few candidates this week.

Steichen is likely one of the candidates who would plan to retain DC Gus Bradley. The Colts have prevented Bradley from exploring outside opportunities due to multiple candidates wanting to retain him. Several, in fact, want to keep not only Bradley but his defensive staff, according to Keefer. Steichen coached alongside Bradley with the Chargers from 2017-20, with the duo finishing that stay as an OC-DC combo. Raheem Morris coached with Bradley with the Buccaneers from 2006-08 as well, though Morris being a defensive coach would make Bradley an interesting fit, and was with Bisaccia last season in Las Vegas.

The prospect of leaving much of their defensive staff intact would be an interesting call for a team that went 4-12-1, though Bradley’s unit obviously presented fewer problems than the offense this season. While Eric Bieniemy interviewed with the Colts — the Chiefs OC’s lone meeting thus far in this process — Steichen and Brian Callahan are the only former offensive coordinators to have interviewed for the Indianapolis gig twice. Among those two, only Steichen has called plays previously. Fellow finalists Morris, Rich Bisaccia, Aaron Glenn and Don Martindale have expertise on the defensive side.

Colts Narrowing HC Finalist List; Gus Bradley In Play To Stay As DC

February 7th, 2023 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drawing increased attention the longer it has persisted, the Colts’ coaching search looks to be hitting the homestretch. The team is believed to be down to a few finalists, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This news comes after the team went through second interviews with numerous candidates. More notably, the Colts have been connected to a historically rare third set of interviews. It is not certain the team will proceed in that direction, but Jim Irsay said Tuesday (via Twitter) an immediate hire should not be expected. The franchise’s decision will come in “days, not hours.”

[RELATED: Who Will Become Next Colts HC?]

Irsay’s latest lines up with the report of third interviews and a weekend offering that indicated a hire may not commence until after Super Bowl LVII. Additional Colts interviews with Chiefs or Eagles candidates could not take place until then. Eric Bieniemy and Shane Steichen have interviewed with the Colts, the latter doing so twice.

Additionally, the Colts are not letting Gus Bradley explore other opportunities. Despite being a Frank Reich hire, Bradley is in play to stay in Indianapolis. Some of the candidates are interested in retaining the veteran defensive coordinator, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Bradley took over as Indy’s DC last year, after the Bears hired four-year defensive boss Matt Eberflus as their head coach. Bradley’s unit ranked 28th in scoring but 14th in DVOA this past season. The Colts roster four former Pro Bowlers on defense, though Shaquille Leonard missed most of last season due to injury.

Jeff Saturday promised major changes if he were to stay on as head coach — a scenario that should be viewed as live — so it is reasonable to expect he would not be one of the candidates who would keep Bradley, despite the two working together to close the season. Bradley worked alongside Rich Bisaccia with the Raiders, but that was also a forced partnership after Jon Gruden‘s exit. Aaron Glenn, Don Martindale and Raheem Morris being defensive coaches would point to Bradley’s exit.

Steichen, however, has a lengthy past with the longtime DC. Both were on the Chargers’ staffs from 2017-20; the Bolts rolled with a Steichen-Bradley OC-DC duo from 2019-20. If Steichen is the Colts’ choice, this certainly could be viewed as a scenario in which the team would retain Bradley.

In the fifth week of the offseason, here is how Indianapolis’ wide-ranging search looks:

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