Colts GM Chris Ballard Reveals Fate of Gus Bradley

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard gave an update on Gus Bradley’s status with the team.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard answered the media’s questions Thursday afternoon at his annual end-of-season presser.

He was asked many questions, ranging from anything Anthony Richardson to what he thought of new head coach Shane Steichen and everything in between.

However, a hot topic was the standing of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and whether or not he was likely to return as the head of the stop troops in 2024.

While the first question was regarding the contract of Bradley, the following one was a bit more pressing. It regarded the 28th rank in points allowed per game (24.4 in 2023) over the last two seasons. This prompted a more detailed reply from Ballard.

“I mean look, I know that’s been a hot topic for everybody," Ballard said. "Look, it’s an area we have to improve. 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. Then I just said look, we’re going to go young in some spots. We went young in the secondary and look, there were some rough moments at times in the secondary and I don’t completely put that on them. I put that more on me, but how do you ever develop any continuity, especially with your own guys if you don’t just play them? 

"So I decided to go young. We took our lumps, took our lumps at times but I think it’s going to pay off down the line for them. I think we had five or six new starters on defense. We did do some good things now. It’s not like it’s all bad. The points do need to come down. 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. We got after the passer pretty good. I think it’s got to be a little better but 51 sacks is pretty good. Took the ball away, we need to be a little better there in that area and we have to take away the explosives. But I would expect us to take another jump here this year on defense.”

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

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. 

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.