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The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up Round 2 of its head coaching interview process on February 5 and 2022 interim head coach Jeff Saturday remains a candidate. Despite going 1-7 during his tenure, Saturday was referred to as an “outstanding candidate” by Colts owner Jim Irsay.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, however, told The Pat McAfee Show that Saturday’s chances currently don’t look as promising on February 6 at Radio Row in Phoenix, Ariz.
“Things are leaning against Saturday now,” Rapoport said to the show as he stopped by the set. “We’ve got so many (other candidates). That’s what today is about, I think, is them meeting and trying to figure out who’s left and who’s not.”
A potential third round of interviews would mean that Indianapolis would pare its candidate list down. It’s been reported that the team will most likely make a head coaching decision until after the Super Bowl.
Evero No Longer Available for Colts HC Opening
The Denver Broncos let defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero out of his contract on February 4, making him eligible to sign elsewhere. Just a day later, Evero joined ex-Colts head coach Frank Reich’s new Carolina Panthers staff as defensive coordinator.
Evero, who won the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022, led a Broncos defense that finished No. 7 in yards allowed per contest this season.
He was also one of eight candidates during the Colts’ second phase of head coaching interviews. McAfee asked Rapoport if Evero had a good chance to become Colts head coach.
“Not this year,” Rapoport said after shaking his head.
Evero’s exclusion from the Colts’ candidate list means that Saturday, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan remain finalists.
Colts’ Plans to Retain Defensive Coordinator
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote about some candidates’ connections to the Colts on February 6, noting that Morris has previous experience coaching with Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
In the same report, Breer added that the Colts have blocked Bradley from interviewing elsewhere this offseason.
“Morris’s ties to Indy are logical ones, too — DC Gus Bradley (whom Indy’s blocked from leaving) was with Morris in Tampa from 2006 to ’08; and (Colts general manager Chris) Ballard’s NFL upbringing in Chicago was with former Bucs people (Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith),” Breer wrote.
It seems as if the Colts are determined to keep Bradley on staff, however, by blocking his availability. Due to his previous head coaching experience with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-2016, he was considered a candidate to become interim head coach in early November before Saturday was hired.
In 2022, Bradley’s defense ranked 15th in yards allowed per game (334) and linebacker Zaire Franklin broke the franchise’s single-season record for tackles (166).
“Under current NFL rules, the Colts can block Bradley, who’s still under contract, from interviewing for a lateral role elsewhere (i.e., another team’s defensive coordinator position), but cannot block him from a coaching promotion such as head coach or assistant head coach with another NFL team,” Luke Schultheis of SB Nation’s Stampede Blue wrote in a February 6 story.
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