Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Panthers’ Jim Caldwell No Longer Planning To Pursue HC Jobs

February 21st, 2023 at 8:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders reached out to Jim Caldwell about their offensive coordinator position, but the former Colts and Lions head coach told the team he was only looking for HC opportunities. This year’s coaching cycle has prompted the former AFC champion HC to close that path.

A fixture on coaching carousels since his Lions firing, Caldwell took a job on Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff. The two former Colts HCs reunited on a staff that includes Ejiro Evero, Dom Capers, Josh McCown and Thomas Brown. Caldwell, 68, is with Carolina as a senior offensive assistant; this marks his first NFL gig since a Dolphins quarterbacks coach role in 2019. He might be sticking around in Charlotte for a bit.

“Right now, the only job that I’m concerned about is the job I do here, right here and now,” Caldwell said, via ESPN.com’s David Newton. “I’m not worried about the future or anything else. I don’t plan on being a head coach from this point forward.

“When I didn’t get a head-coaching job, I immediately sort of changed the plan in terms of what I was looking for next. I knew I was at the stage where I wanted to be back in the building somewhere. And so, I did have some opportunities to kind of look at, and I was happy when Frank called.”

Then-Lions GM Bob Quinn fired Caldwell after he went 9-7 in 2018. The team has not bettered that record since. Caldwell then interviewed for nine HC jobs over the next four-plus years. The two-time HC met with the Packers, Browns, Jets, Cardinals, Texans, Jaguars, Bears, Broncos and Panthers from December 2018 until January of this year. The Denver and Carolina meetings occurred this year, and while Caldwell was not a finalist for the Panthers position, Reich sought him out for a role alongside he and Brown.

Caldwell is 62-50 as a head coach. His Colts record in games with Peyton Manning (24-8, two of the losses coming after the QB was pulled for rest purposes) and without (2-14) is notable, and Indianapolis’ two-win 2011 led to his ouster. Caldwell, however, accounted himself well in Detroit, guiding the Lions to two playoff berths and three winning seasons in four years. Caldwell is the only head coach over the past 50 years to leave the franchise with a winning record. He also took over as Ravens offensive coordinator late in the 2012 season, one that produced the signature stretch of Joe Flacco‘s career and ended with the team celebrating its second Super Bowl title.

The Panthers’ staff has a combined 191 years’ experience coaching in the NFL, Newton notes, and it holds 10 Super Bowl rings in total. An assistant under Tony Dungy before taking the Colts’ HC job in 2009, Caldwell has two of those.

Frank Reich To Call Panthers’ Plays

February 21st, 2023 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Frank Reich has both been a non-play-calling OC and a play-calling head coach. After indicating he was not certain to run the Panthers’ offense upon being hired, the second-chance HC confirmed he will do so Tuesday.

Carolina’s new coach said he would be the team’s play-caller to start the season, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (on Twitter), though he stopped short of saying he planned to keep this responsibility throughout his tenure.

“I’ve laughed with Thomas about that already. I said: ‘I’m gonna pass it off at some point. I don’t know when,’” Reich said. “And I think there will be a time and a place. I think it’ll become apparent when that is. But I think the right thing for me to do for our team and for our offense right now is for me to continue to use my experience there.”

Reich calling plays in Charlotte makes sense. He held this role throughout his five-season Indianapolis tenure, and his path to the Carolina gig centered on offensive knowhow. The Panthers wanted an experienced, offense-oriented HC; that allowed Reich to beat out Steve Wilks for the job. Had Reich immediately ventured into CEO territory, it would threaten to lessen his impact on his new team.

Reich held non-play-calling OC roles in Philadelphia and San Diego ahead of his Indianapolis stay — one that produced top-10 scoring offenses in 2018, ’20 and ’21. The Colts’ offense regressed considerably last season, and Reich was out of the picture by the midway point. But his overseeing top-10 offenses in two post-Andrew Luck seasons is certainly impressive, given the instability that late-summer retirement created for the Colts.

New Panthers OC Thomas Brown waits next in line to assume this responsibility, and Reich certainly made it sound like that could happen. Brown spent the past three seasons on Sean McVay‘s staff, coaching tight ends and running backs. Brown, 36, is viewed as a rising talent in the coaching ranks, and he spent three years as the University of Miami’s OC in the late 2010s. Taking the reins in Carolina would accelerate his path toward a head coaching job.

Additionally, the Panthers will use a 3-4 scheme under new DC Ejiro Evero, per ESPN.com’s David Newton (on Twitter). The former Broncos DC utilized this alignment — in base sets, at least — during his strong Denver debut. Reich also credited David Tepper (via Person) for backing up his words on spending to fill out the coaching staff. Evero interviewed for all five HC jobs, while Brown drew HC interest from the Texans and interviewed for multiple OC roles elsewhere. The Panthers have also hired Jim Caldwell, Dom Capers and Josh McCown, creating an interesting assistant roster for Reich.

Panthers Re-Sign LS J.J. Jansen

February 20th, 2023 at 6:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Number 44 will be coming back for yet another year in Panther blue, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt. Career Panther and longtime long snapper in Carolina J.J. Jansen has re-signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal. Going into his 15th season in Charlotte, Jansen’s longevity holds significance for several reasons.

First of all, Jansen is the longest-tenured player on the team. Not only that, he is also one of the longest-tenured Panthers of all time. His 15th year in Carolina will match that of former teammate, and fellow special teamer, kicker John Kasay, who played 15 seasons with the Panthers in 16 years (he missed the 2000 season with a broken kneecap). Despite having completed one fewer season than Kasay, Jansen surpassed Kasay in total games played with Carolina this past season, finishing the season with 226 games played, five more than Kasay’s total of 221.

Jansen’s new contract ensures that he will be making an attempt to come back next year and break his own record with each game played. What’s more impressive is that Jansen’s 226 games played are consecutive, meaning, since he joined Carolina, he has yet to miss a single game. Coming back next season will give him a chance to move up the list of most consecutive games played all-time. He currently ranks 21st all-time in that category and 17 more regular season games would place him in a tie at 10th will former linebacker Bill Romanowski. Jansen ranks second in the category for active players, 32 games behind longtime Packers kicker Mason Crosby.

“To do this another year, we’re just really grateful to be back,” Jansen told Gantt. “I’m loving the coaching I’m getting from Chris Tabor, love playing with Johnny Hekker, and to be able to work with kickers like Zane Gonzalez and Eddy Pineiro the last two years has been great.”

Jansen is clearly excited to continue working with Tabor, who was retained by new head coach Frank Reich. He also mentioned an ambition to play under Reich for years to come. Four years to be exact, according to Jansen. Although that continued longevity is not insinuated by his new one-year contract, the deal is a veteran contract which qualifies for a break against the salary cap and doesn’t reflect whether or not the team wishes to retain Jansen long-term.

Playing four more 17-game seasons would put Jansen at 294 consecutive games played, good for 3rd all-time behind only former punter Jeff Feagles (352) and former quarterback Brett Favre (299). The road to third will start in September when Jansen kicks off Year 15 of his career.

NFL Coaching Updates: Broncos, Brown, Cowboys, Jaguars

February 19th, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Following the departure of former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, there has been a litany of change to the coaching staff in Denver. A few of the updates and notes have flown a bit under the radar. For instance, in the midst of new head coach Sean Payton attempting to find his new defensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the team was interested in former Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rallis, who ended up getting hired for the same position in Arizona. Rapoport also avers that Philadelphia, knowing new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon would be leaving their defensive coordinator position vacant, also had interest in retaining Rallis in an enhanced role as coordinator.

A rumor has also come to light that may explain a bit of why Payton and the Broncos have not yet filled the position. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos are seeking to retain defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and secondary coach Christian Parker regardless of who they hire at the defensive coordinator position. While a flattering notion towards the two coaches, the move effectively handcuffs whoever accepts the position into working with the two, regardless of system fit. Many of former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero‘s staff have departed to join him in Carolina, though, and this appears to be the dedication Denver must show in order to retain the remaining assistants.

Klis also tweeted of another departure from the Broncos staff. While not technically a coach, instructional designer John Viera will reportedly be following Hackett to New York. Klis describes Viera as the “coach to the coaches,” detailing that he would lead presentations to the coaching staff.

Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the league:

The Panthers hired one of the league’s up and coming coaches this past weekend, announcing the addition of Rams assistant head coach and tight ends coach Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator. Rams head coach Sean McVay reportedly didn’t want to lose Brown but didn’t feel he could block him from a great opportunity, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. McVay regarded Brown as one of the best teachers he has worked with, and he was not the only one who noticed. Brown interviewed for the open Dolphins’ head coaching position last offseason and interviewed for the Texans’ job this year, as well. He was also a candidate for several other offensive coordinator positions. Brown’s considered a rising offensive mind in the game brings some intrigue to Carolina as a new play caller.
The Cowboys have added two former NFL players to their coaching staff for 2023. Former Vikings first round pick Sharrif Floyd will be officially added to the staff as the assistant defensive line and defensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The former defensive tackle, who played under Dan Quinn at Florida, worked with the staff during training camp last year. Todd Archer of ESPN adds that the team is also bringing on former safety and special teams ace Darian Thompson to serve as assistant linebackers and quality control coach. After spending much of 2021 on the practice squad, Thompson did not appear on the field in 2022.
In a tweet this week, the Jaguars announced two minor additions to their 2023 coaching staff. Jacksonville has hired former Bills wide receivers coach Chad Hall to serve in the same role for the Jaguars. After coaching Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis for the past four seasons, Hall will join Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson to coach a wide receivers group that surpassed all expectations in 2022 and may benefit even more with the potential addition of suspended receiver Calvin Ridley. The team has also added Greg Austin in the position of offensive quality control coach.
After hiring Brian Flores as their new defensive coordinator, the Vikings are parting ways with linebackers coach Greg Manusky, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Manusky has served as defensive coordinator for four different teams over the years. The veteran assistant should have plenty of options moving forward.
The Chargers announced a minor addition to their staff this week, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Los Angeles will be bringing in former Georgia defensive analyst Robert Muschamp as a quality control coach. Muschamp is the nephew of Georgia co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Will Muschamp and joined his uncle in Athens after two years working in Tennessee.
The Texans have hired former Kent State director of football operations and Yale chief of staff Jake Olson to the coaching staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It’s a bit unclear what his role will be, but he will don the title of assistant senior assistant.

Panthers Add DeAngelo Hall, Todd Wash, Others To Staff

February 19th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Many have praised the recent makeover of the Panthers’ coaching staff including the main additions of head coach Frank Reich, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Having those three major positions filled, Carolina has been able to explore filling other, less major position coaching roles.

Firstly, following the suggestions of general manager Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper, Reich made the decision to retain offensive line coach James Campen, assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler, and special teams coach Chris Tabor from last year’s staff, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt. The Panthers made massive strides in offensive line play last season thanks not only to the additions of rookie tackle Ikem Ekwonu, guard Austin Corbett, and center Bradley Bozeman but to the influence of Campen and Kugler, as well. Similarly, Carolina’s special teams unit excelled during Tabor’s first year in the position.

The team also made a key addition to the offensive staff, bringing in former Cardinals associate head coach and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson to fill their new wide receivers coach role, according to Gantt. Jefferson adds to the growing group of Panthers coaches with past experience playing in the NFL, having spent 13 seasons as a wide receiver in the league. After bouncing around five other franchises as an assistant coach, Jefferson has become well-respected in coaching circles. Along with other teams, the Jets reportedly had interest in bringing him back to their staff after his stint in New York from 2019-2020, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers have brought in an exciting trio of position coaches. Gantt reports that the assistant coach leading Carolina’s defensive line next season will be former Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash. Wash was leading the Jacksonville defense back when they last advanced to the AFC championship game on the backs of a defense that earned the nickname “Sacksonville.” He’s a distinguished veteran who has been coaching in Detroit the past two seasons.

Joining Wash in rushing the quarterback will be new outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, according to Gantt. Lukabu has previously coached linebackers at the NFL-level in Cincinnati but has spent the past three years as the defensive coordinator at Boston College.

If Lukabu needs any tips on coaching his position, he will have the benefit of assistance from the team’s new safeties coach, Bert Watts, who did an admirable job coaching an injured outside linebackers group in Denver last year. Watts is a valuable addition from Ejiro’s staff last season as many in coaching circles view him as a future defensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Additionally, Gantt reports that the Panthers have agreed to terms with former NFL cornerback DeAngelo Hall to become their new assistant defensive backs coach and former Cardinals assistant special teams coach Devin Fitzsimmons to serve in the same position in Carolina. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that, despite his insistence on remaining at ESPN, the Panthers joined the Colts in pursuing former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky for “prominent offensive coaching roles.”

Despite missing out on Orlovsky, the Panthers are building a strong, experienced staff. Not only are they rich in years of coaching experience, but most of their new staff holds experience playing in the NFL, as well.

Panthers Hire Thomas Brown As OC

February 17th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff continues to see notable additions being made. Carolina is set to hire Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed the news.

The two parties are currently working out the final details of an agreement for the position, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. This comes not long after Brown conducted a second interview with the Panthers, and will put him in place for a jump in role but also a move to a different NFL team for the first time in his coaching career at the pro level.

Brown, 36, first joined Sean McVay‘s staff in 2020. He served as the team’s running backs coach that year, but had assistant head coach added to his title the following season. This past campaign saw him work with Los Angeles’ tight ends as the Rams have endured a number of departures on their staff in recent years. Brown had established himself as a key McVay staffer, though, and his loss will certainly be felt.

The Rams lost Liam Coen to Kentucky at the end of the 2022 season, and quickly pivoted to Mike LaFleur as his replacement for the role of offensive coordinator. Brown was mentioned as a potential in-house candidate for the position, but did not take part in a known interview. He also received interest from Arizona State for their head coaching vacancy, but will now take on a coordinator position for the first time since he worked at the college level.

The only other candidate connected to Carolina’s OC gig was Jim Bob Cooter, so it comes as little surprise that Reich has landed Brown just after their second sit-down. The latter’s hire marks another highly-acclaimed staffer who is headed to Charlotte. Reich has made a slew of moves not long after coming aboard as the team’s head coach, including new additions for both the offensive and defensive coordinator spots.

Ejiro Evero is in place as the Panthers’ DC, a move which came after he enjoyed a successful first season in Denver at the helm of the Broncos’ defense. That will make he and Brown a relatively inexperienced coordinator tandem, but Reich has added plenty of veteran staffers as well recently. That includes Dom Capers coming aboard as a senior assistant, something which represents a full-circle transaction of sorts given his and Reich’s shared history during the early days of the franchise.

Brown will inherit an offense which will also have former Colts OC Parks Frazier on hand. The Panthers struggled outside of the running game last season, and their QB situation very much remains up in the air. It has also not been confirmed whether or not Reich will call plays, though Brown’s status as a rookie coordinator certainly points to that setup being likely. In any event, Brown will have a key role in helping a celebrated staff craft a step forward in Carolina in 2023.

Colts Request OC Interview With Jaguars’ Jim Bob Cooter

February 16th, 2023 at 10:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Four years after his Lions offensive coordinator stint, Jim Bob Cooter has received considerable interest about moving back up the ladder. The Jaguars assistant has now received three OC interview requests.

The Colts want to speak with the Jags’ pass-game coordinator about their OC job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Since the hiring period began, Cooter has received meeting requests from the Buccaneers and Panthers as well. He has gone through with both interviews, with Joe Person of The Athletic noting (via Twitter) the Panthers meeting has taken place.

This would be a for a non-play-calling role, however. Shane Steichen has confirmed he will call plays in Indianapolis. Frank Reich has not yet done so in Carolina, though the ex-Colts coach operated as the team’s play-caller throughout his time in the AFC South. The Bucs have filled their OC post, hiring Dave Canales on Wednesday night. Cooter served as the Lions’ primary play-caller under Jim Caldwell and Matt Patricia, though it has been a bit since that stint concluded.

Although the Jags may not be thrilled about Cooter interviewing with a division rival, they cannot block the meeting from taking place. Since the job involves a promotion, Cooter is free to meet with the Colts. Cooter, 38, has been with the Jags for a year, coming over after Doug Pederson‘s hire. The Jags have built an extensive brain trust for Trevor Lawrence, with Pederson calling plays but Cooter, OC Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy spearheading a turnaround this past season.

Steichen and Cooter have not overlapped during their careers thus far. Cooter has been with three teams since the Lions moved on following the 2018 season. He spent two years as the Jets’ running backs coach under Adam Gase and was an Eagles consultant in 2021. The Colts must interview at least one external minority candidate for their OC role, though based on how thorough the team was during its HC search, there will likely be a few interview requests sent out before this process wraps.

The Lions promoted Cooter to OC when he was just 31, and Matthew Stafford finished eighth in QBR in each of Cooter’s first two years as OC. The Jags are coming off a remarkable turnaround, going from picking first overall to advancing to the divisional round. Lawrence showed consistent promise down the stretch, culminating with his leading the third-biggest comeback in NFL playoff history — a 27-point rally past the Chargers in the wild-card round.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, QBs, Maye, Panthers

February 15th, 2023 at 10:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady‘s retirement shoved the Buccaneers‘ void-years bill to 2023, and the $35.1MM cap hit will complicate the team’s plans to replace the all-time great. Tampa Bay is more than $55MM over the cap, as of Wednesday, and has upper-crust cornerback Jamel Dean on track for free agency. While the rest of the NFC South is being connected to quarterbacks, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets the Bucs should not be considered players for top-tier QB free agents. This would include Jimmy Garoppolo and almost definitely Derek Carr, and while Stroud adds the team will look at the market, the Bucs’ price range could be considered in the midlevel area.

Former second-rounder Kyle Trask, whom Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes Bucs players are high on as a player who can compete for the starting job (after two years in development), is the only quarterback left on the roster. The team holds the No. 19 overall pick. Here is the latest from the NFC South:

The Saints have been the team most closely connected to Carr. They will need to complete their usual batch of winter restructures to be in position to pay him, though there are not as many avenues available to the crafty organization compared to recent years. But the Saints started their path to cap compliance Wednesday. They restructured Marcus Maye‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. By moving $6.07MM of Maye’s salary into a signing bonus, the team created $4.85MM in cap space. Baby steps. The Saints are still more than $50MM over the cap.
Another Matt Rhule-era hire is no longer with the Panthers. The team parted ways with VP of player personnel Pat Stewart, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Stewart, who worked with Rhule at both Western Carolina and Temple, joined the Panthers in 2020.
New Panthers HC Frank Reich will bring in ex-Rams assistant Jonathan Cooley, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. Cooley is set to join the Panthers as their defensive backs coach. He and new Carolina DC Ejiro Evero worked together in Los Angeles, with the Rams promoting Cooley after Evero left for Denver last year. The Rams, despite blocking Cooley from interviewing with the Vikings in 2022, fired him just after this past season ended.
Another Rams staffer fired along with Cooley in January will catch on in the NFC South. The Saints are hiring Kevin Carberry to be their assistant offensive line coach, Yates adds (on Twitter). Carberry served as the Rams’ offensive line coach during their Super Bowl LVI-winning 2021 season and last year. He will replace Zach Strief, who is now the Broncos’ O-line coach.
When Ryan Jensen went down during a July practice, he tore his MCL and PCL fully but only partially tore his ACL. This allowed for the veteran Buccaneers center to avoid surgery, Dan Pompei of Athletic notes (subscription required). Jensen also suffered meniscus damage, per Pompei, who adds retirement was a consideration for the injured blocker. Jensen took out a $5MM insurance policy in the event of a career-ending injury. A stem cell treatment in Antigua, however, made a difference in Jensen’s recovery. The 31-year-old blocker managed to make it back to practice late in the season and played in Tampa Bay’s wild-card loss to Dallas. Two years remain on Jensen’s three-year, $39MM contract.
Eddy Pineiro came to Charlotte as a Zane Gonzalez replacement, but the ex-Bears kicker fared well. Pineiro made 33 of 35 field goals, including a 15-for-16 mark from beyond 40 yards, and Person views him as the most likely Panthers kicker in 2023. Gonzalez suffered a preseason quad injury, leading to a full-season IR stay. The Rhule signee is under contract through 2023, while Pineiro is a free agent. But the latter has ties to special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, whom Person adds Reich is retaining. Tabor coached Pineiro in Chicago as well.

Panthers Add Parks Frazier To Staff

February 15th, 2023 at 9:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Frank Reich has neither committed to calling plays nor hired an offensive coordinator, but his staff is filling up with notable names. Reich’s latest Panthers hire qualified for such status as a result of the Colts firing their head coach last year.

Carolina’s new HC added former Indianapolis lieutenant Parks Frazier to his staff Wednesday. Frazier, who became the Colts’ play-caller under Reich’s replacement, will rejoin the coach that hired him in Indianapolis. Frazier will take over as the Panthers’ pass-game coordinator.

Just 31, Frazier unexpectedly rose from an assistant quarterbacks coach role into a play-calling position. This came because Reich’s ouster led to both quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery turning down Jeff Saturday‘s offer to call plays. This left Frazier for the gig. While that provided valuable experience, Frazier should not be expected to call plays for the Panthers.

Reich hired Frazier from the college ranks back in 2018, bringing him to Indy as his assistant. He rose to the quality control level and into the assistant QBs coach role before receiving the surprising nod to become Saturday’s interim offensive coordinator. The Colts went 1-7 under the Saturday-Frazier setup, starting three quarterbacks, and the Colts moved on via Shane Steichen. But Reich’s staff in Carolina is filling up.

The Panthers have already hired HC candidate Ejiro Evero to run the defense and added Jim Caldwell, Josh McCown and Duce Staley on offense. Carolina’s original HC, Dom Capers, is also back on staff.

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.”

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