Popular Rams Assistant Has His Name Rising for AFC Opening: Report

Getty Raheem Morris (right) talks with his defensive backs before the Super Bowl on February 10, 2022.

The Indianapolis Colts has a deep pool of candidates they’ve interviewed for their head coaching position, which includes the man who took over on an interim basis Jeff Saturday and also spoke with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

But it’s the latter who scored this with the Colts: Interview No. 2 with the franchise per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Wednesday, January 25

“Rams DC Raheem Morris will have his second interview for the Colts HC job at the end of the week, source said,” Rapoport posted.

Morris’s chances of getting the gig ascended back on January 17, with Colts insider Zak Keefer of The Athletic reporting that the Rams assistant’s first interview with the team “went really well,” which can help explain the second interview.

Any interviewee who lands a follow-up interview with the franchise is the official indicator they’re on the short list of candidates for the head coaching opening.

Former Morris Assistant Also in Mix: Report

Morris isn’t the only one with Rams ties who have sat in front of Colts owner Jim Irsay and the team’s front office.

Ejiro Evero, current Denver Broncos defensive coordinator who won Super Bowl 56 with Morris and the Rams, is also in the mix for the head coaching gig, Keefer posted on Wednesday. Evero is one of four names reported as second interviews.

Evero, 41, has become a widely popular name in this head coaching cycle. Along with the Colts, Evero has interviewed for all five head coaching vacancies in this cycle according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, who adds that the former Rams defensive assistant — who mainly worked with the safeties during the Super Bowl 56 run — has impressed the Texans to the point he’s earned his second interview with them.

If both Morris and Evero were to be hired during this wave of 2023 new head coaches, it’ll mark the first time in the Sean McVay era that two defensive assistants under him were named head coaches in the same cycle.

What Could Get the Colts to Gravitate Toward Morris

Among the seven names mentioned as front runners for the Colts head coaching gig, only Morris and Saturday have past head coaching experience — although both sharing one thing in common: They’ve been on the interim basis.

Morris had to take over for fellow Colts head coaching candidate Dan Quinn when the current Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator was fired during the 2020 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Morris found a way to get Atlanta to navigate through that winless situation and ended up going 4-7 the rest of the way. Saturday had his widely publicized midseason hire following the dismissal of Frank Reich — as the legendary Colts center and member of their 2006 Super Bowl team had no prior NFL coaching experience and came straight from the ESPN studios.

Morris, though, owns two Super Bowl rings as an assistant with both the Rams and in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As it is, the Colts last won their Super Bowl with a former Buccaneer in Tony Dungy. Furthermore, Morris also has a background on offense as a past receivers coach and pass game coordinator — which could give the Colts an additional set of hands in building back the offense. And his last run with the offensive side of the ball came when he was part of the Falcons’ staff that won the NFC title in the 2016 season.