Colts GM Chris Ballard Reveals Fate of Gus Bradley

The Colts had an abysmal 4-12-1 finish to 2022, Bradley’s first year with the team as the defensive coordinator. They would also fire, mid-season, head coach Frank Reich and other staff members, replacing them with interim leader Jeff Saturday. Following in 2023, there would end up being two starting rookie cornerbacks, JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones, who would defend the opposition’s toughest pass-catchers.

While Indy did have Kenny Moore II put together a fantastic 2023 campaign, they would also have to fill the void that Brents would leave due to injury with Darrell Baker Jr. and Tony Brown. The latter of which is no longer on the team due to off-field issues and an abysmal display of coverage.

The original starting corner, Dallis Flowers, also had a season-ending injury (torn Achilles) after just four games and was showing promise. This would put more pressure than originally desired on the rookie corners during the infancy of their careers.

Not to be forgotten, there were problems with the safeties, too. Rookie Daniel Scott would suffer a torn ACL before the preseason could kick off. He was likely going to be used in sets and Bradley, as well as Ballard, saw him as a diamond in the rough.

Indy veteran Julian Blackmon would join Scott and get injured at the end of the season (shoulder), missing the last two crucial games. This was a major blow to Bradley’s scheme, as Blackmon was not only having the best year of his tenure but was also a massive communicator in the secondary.

What would ensue would be Nick Cross, who was playing free safety opposite Blackmon, moving to the strong side, while Rodney Thomas II would occupy where Cross was previously. Cross showcased the talents that convinced the Colts to trade up for him in the 2022 NFL draft, while Thomas was a shell of who fans saw just a year ago.

Thomas would have a brutal performance against the Houston Texans and an eventual end to the season for the Colts. Thomas was more of a liability than a contributor to Bradley’s case to stick around. The Texans game was merely a microcosm of the 2023 year for the former seventh-round pick out of Yale.

While there were also times when the defensive front and linebackers didn’t play up to par, it’s truly the young and inexperienced secondary that allowed the biggest crashes defensively. These collapses may have made Bradley look worse for wear as a schemer.

Ballard would later be point-blank asked if he expects Bradley to return for 2024, to which he’d give a concise “yeah” as a response.

Ballard and Steichen believe in Bradley and are seemingly siding with the former Super Bowl-winning coordinator. With the likelihood of retention at a high point, can Bradley bounce back with a healthier squad that will have more experience? He’ll need to, as this is likely his third and final chance to prove he belongs.

As Indy looks to free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, it will remain to be seen if Bradley can put it all together. The Colts may even have their eyes on veteran and rookie talent alike to add to their developing secondary to give Bradley more of a fighting chance against dynamic wide receivers in the upcoming year.