Report: Colts to Retain Gus Bradley as Defensive Coordinator

The Indianapolis Colts will reportedly retain defensive coordinator Gus Bradley under new head coach Shane Steichen.

The Indianapolis Colts had a defense that shouldered the weight of an offense that couldn’t score points or move the sticks in 2022. The coach of that defense was Gus Bradley.

The Athletic’s Zak Keefer broke the news that the Colts have planned to retain the veteran coordinator for the 2023 season.

Gus Bradley is staying on as Colts' defensive coordinator, source said (and as @JFowlerESPN reported). This was always the expectation, as several candidates told Colts' brass they wanted to keep Bradley and his assistants in place.

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) February 27, 2023

This doesn’t surprise many, as this was seen as just a matter of time before they would announce Bradley to return.

New head coach Shane Steichen likely campaigned to keep Gus in place for the young and talented defense. Steichen worked for four years with Bradley as a part of the Los Angeles Chargers. Bradley was the defensive coordinator during that time, and Steichen ran the quarterbacks and offense.

Even with the murky 2022 season, there is reason to rejoice for this retaining. Bradley maximized the talents of defensive tackles Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner, linebackers Bobby Okereke and Zaire Franklin, and defensive backs Stephon Gilmore, Rodney Thomas II, and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Not to mention, they did all of this without superstar linebacker Shaquille Leonard on the field for most of the year.

While the Colts fell off in the latter half of the campaign, it can’t be blamed on the defense when they were absorbing most of the game time on the field.

Keeping Bradley was wise for a new head coach that knows him well, like Steichen. With a revamped offense and a new attitude for the franchise ahead of 2023, keeping a familiar face around is good. Now, Steichen doesn’t have to fret about another coordinator coming in and can get to work on preparing for the NFL combine.

The staff is beginning to take shape in Indianapolis, and the defense will look to build off of last year’s stout performances.

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