Colts Fire Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley
Source: Colts.com
The Indianapolis Colts fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley on Monday. Bradley served as the team's defensive coordinator the last three seasons. He's been a defensive coordinator or a head coach since 2009 in the NFL. Bradley was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-16 and joined the Colts in 2022 when Frank Reich was the head coach. The Colts defense had plenty of issues in 2024 under Bradley and finished 29th in total defense while allowing 361.2 yards per game. Bradley was also the defensive coordinator with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 and for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-20. It's unclear if Bradley will receive interest around the league this offseason as he looks for another coaching position in the NFL. The Colts finished a disappointing 8-9 this year and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.Anthony Richardson Will Be Colts Starter In 2025
Anthony Richardson (back) will be the team's starter in 2025, according to team sources. Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard will also get at least one more year to improve the team next season, owner Jim Irsay announced on Sunday night. The Colts missed the playoffs in 2024 for the fourth straight season, which is the club's longest playoff drought since a seven-year streak from 1988-94. Going into his third year in the NFL, Richardson's stock is down considerably with more doubt than ever about his ability to be a franchise QB. He missed the Week 18 regular-season finale with a back injury that he said "might be chronic" and has missed 17 games in his first two seasons due to injury. Richardson finished with the league's lowest completion percentage (47.7), and his 61.6 passer rating is the third-worst by a QB with at least 250 pass attempts since 2010.Source: The Athletic - James Boyd
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Michael Pittman Jr. Dealing With Fracture In His Back
Michael Pittman Jr. (back) admitted that he's been playing through a small fracture in his back. Pittman first noticed it during a joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals in training camp, and a scan showed the extent of the injury. He decided to play through his back injury and had a follow-up scan in Week 3. The 27-year-old will have another scan on Monday to determine if he'll require offseason surgery. Surprisingly, Pittman only missed one game in 2024, although his back injury certainly played a part in what was a down season for his standards. He finished with 69 receptions on 111 targets for 808 yards -- his lowest total since his rookie season in 2020 -- and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson's own injuries and inaccuracy didn't help Pittman's cause in 2024.Source: FOX 59 - Mike Chappell
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Shane Steichen And Chris Ballard To Return In 2025
Per Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard will continue to operate in their roles next season. Irsay took to X (Twitter) on Sunday evening following Indianapolis' 26-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars toread more...
Josh Downs Productive On Large Target Share Sunday
Josh Downs caught 10 of his 13 targets for 94 yards during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts' passing attack has seen a significant boost ever since quarterback Joe Flacco took over for the injured Anthony Richardson (back), but Downs truly took his productivity to the next level during Sunday's season finale. He finishes the 2024 campaign with 72 catches, 803 yards, and five touchdowns. Each of these three marks represented season-highs, topping the totals he delivered as a rookie last year. Downs has firmly established himself as an appealing 1B option with the Colts, pairing nicely alongside their 1A receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. The UNC product will rank as a high-end WR3 when 2025 fantasy football drafts kick off next summer, and he has even greater appeal in dynasty leagues.Source: RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce Catches Team-Leading Seventh TD Pass On Sunday
Alec Pierce did his usual thing on Sunday, catching a deep 40-yard touchdown pass on the team's opening drive and adding another 17-yard catch in the 26-23 win over the Jaguars. Despite only 37 receptions on the season, the 24-year-old finishes as the Colts' receiving leader with 824 yards and seven touchdowns. With blazing speed, he led the league in average depth of target (aDOT) which helped him rack up the yardage. The former second-round draft pick will likely fill a similar role in 2025 but, unless he can garner additional targets, it's hard to envision outpacing this season's production. Nevertheless, he should be worthy of at least a bench spot in next year's drafts, as he can be a viable (yet volatile) fill-in when the bye weeks hit.Source: ESPN
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs Finishes Season With 10-Catch Effort In Week 18
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs closed out the season on a high note, catching 10 of 13 targets for 94 yards, although he was unable to find the end zone in the 26-23 overtime winread more...
Michael Pittman Jr. With Six-Catch Performance To Finish Season
Michael Pittman Jr. caught six of 10 targets for 72 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Jaguars. The 27-year-old recorded five or more receptions in six of his last seven games of the season, but it was a year mostly filled with inconsistency at the quarterback position. The reception (69), yardage (808), and touchdown totals (3) were all the lowest outputs since his rookie season in 2020. After setting career highs in receptions and yardage in 2023, this season surely did not meet expectations, especially for fantasy managers who drafted him. With Anthony Richardson under center in 2025, Pittman's outlook doesn't look much better unless the QB can fix his accuracy issues after posting a miserable 47.7% completion rate in 2024. If the Colts get him on track, then Pittman could end up being a value in next year's fantasy drafts assuming his price will be fairly depressed.Source: ESPN
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Joe Flacco Tosses One TD, No Picks In Season Finale Overtime Win
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco wasted no time in getting the team on the board on Sunday, completing his first three passes of the game with the third being a 40-yard touchdown pass toread more...
Jonathan Taylor Tallies 177 Yards In Regular-Season Finale
Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 34 times for 177 yards and a touchdown during their victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Taylor's 34 rushing attempts set a new career-high. Taylor punched in his score on a six-yard run in the second frame. His longest carry of the game went for 17 yards. Taylor has enjoyed a fantastic end to the season. The Wisconsin product has tallied at least 100 rushing yards in each of his past four contests and tallied six total touchdowns over this span. This was a nice improvement, as Taylor only eclipsed the century mark four times over his first 10 games of the season. The 25-year-old should continue to be viewed as a high-end RB1 heading into the 2025 season, as he currently stands alone as the clear No. 1 option in the Indianapolis backfield.Source: ESPN.com
Indianapolis Colts running back Adonai Mitchell Not Appealing For Week 18
Adonai Mitchell has been fairly quiet outside of his six-catch performance in Week 10. Last week, Mitchell hauled in two of his four targets for 22 yards in the loss to the New York Giants. The rookie wideout has put together a lackluster rookie season with 23 receptions for 312 yards and zero touchdowns heading into the Week 18 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mitchell is too far down on the depth chart to be considered a viable option right now.Source: ESPN
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Matt Gay A Fringe Fantasy Starter In Season Finale
Matt Gay will be a fringe top option in Week 18 when his team hosts the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars. The sixth-year pro has been excellent in his second season with the Colts -- hammering home all 31 extra-point attempts and missing just five field goals. It starkly contrasts his 2023 season when he missed eight of them and an additional extra point. Jacksonville has been one of the more favorable matchups for kickers this season -- letting up 8.6 fantasy points per game to the position. Quarterback Joe Flacco will again play in an injured Anthony Richardson's (back) stead, and he moved the ball well last week in their 45-33 loss to the Giants. Gay should again be productive and comes in at RotoBaller's K12 in this week's ranks.Source: ESPN
Indianapolis Colts placekicker Alec Pierce A High-Ceiling/Low-Floor WR5 In Season Finale
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is coming off a big game that saw him post season-highs in targets and catches, putting up a 6-122-1 line against the Giants. It surely helped that the Colts wereread more...
Josh Downs A Low-End WR3 In Week 18 Matchup Versus Jaguars
Josh Downs has had four consecutive weeks with exactly three receptions. Be that as it may, Week 18 brings a matchup versus the Jaguars, the same team the 23-year-old posted nine catches on 12 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown back in Week 5. That game featured Joe Flacco under center too, so Downs will look to replicate that success and end the season on a high note. Jacksonville has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, but the second-most to running backs, so the Colts may lean toward the ground game in this one instead. As a result, view Downs as a low-end WR3 with perhaps some upside in PPR formats if he and Flacco can get rolling again against the Jags.Source: ESPN
After averaging over five catches per contest after Week 11, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. A WR3 Against Jaguars In Season Finale
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. set season-highs in receptions and targets last week with Joe Flacco back at the helm, catching nine of 10 passes forread more...