Colts fire DC Gus Bradley after three seasons

The Indianapolis Colts have fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after a disappointing 2024 season. He leaves the Colts after being with the team since the 2022 season.

“I’m appreciative of Gus and the commitment he made to the Colts,” head coach Shane Steichen said in a statement. “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.”

Gus Bradley joined the Colts after spending the 2021 season as defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. He took over for Matt Eberflus who was hired to be the Chicago Bears head coach.

In Bradley’s first season, the Colts finished 15th in total defense (334.0 yards per game) and 28th in scoring defense (25.1 points per game). In 2023, Indianapolis finished 24th in total defense (349.8) and 28th in scoring defense (24.4). This past season, the Colts finished 29th in total defense (361.2) and 24th in scoring defense (25.1).

Looking at Gus Bradley’s career

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Bradley, 58, began his NFL coaching career in 2006 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired him as a linebackers coach. In 2009, Bradley was hired to be the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, and the team ranked in the top 10 in total and scoring defense in 2011 and 2012.

His success in Seattle led to the Jacksonville Jaguars hiring him as their head coach in 2013. In four seasons with the Jaguars, Bradley posted a 14-48 record and won no more than five games in a season. In 2017, the Los Angeles Chargers hired Bradley to be their defensive coordinator, and he was there for four seasons.

The firing of Bradley comes after the Colts announced that head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard will be back next season despite the team missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

“Believe me, I know you share my impatience and frustration,” Colts owner Jim Irsay wrote in a letter to fans. “I know you invest your time, energy, and money into the Colts every year. More than anything, we want to reward you with division titles and playoff runs, and we’ve fallen short in the most painful ways possible.

“But things evolve quickly in the NFL from week to week and season to season, so I will never stop being optimistic that this team can take the next step! I’ve been evaluating our entire operation, and I believe in Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen and our collective ability to make the improvements needed to take us to the next level in 2025.”