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According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the New York Jets and Houston Texans have put in a request to interview Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for their respective head coaching openings:
The #Jets and #Texans have put in requests to interview #Colts DC Matt Eberflus for their head coaching jobs, per sources. A hot candidate.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2021
Per ESPN Reporter Ed Werder, Eberflus’ interview with the Texans has already been scheduled and will occur this Sunday—following the Colts’ wild card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday:
Source: The #Texans have scheduled a 3-hour window Sunday for a video-conference interview with #Colts DC Matt Eberflus for their head-coaching position. That is the day after the Colts play the Bills in their wild-card game. The #Jets have also requested an interview with him.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 4, 2021
Eberflus is not the only member of the Colts that the franchise could lose this upcoming offseason to another NFL organization, as the Carolina Panthers, as expected, have requested to interview Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds for their general manager vacancy (also per Pelissero):
The #Panthers have requested an interview with #Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds for their GM job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2021
Both would be significant losses to the Colts franchise.
At age 50, Eberflus has brought in his ‘Cover 2’ derivative and helped coach one of the league’s most improved units this season—as the Colts were tied for the 5th most takeaways (25) during 2020.
The Colts also were tied for allowing the 10th fewest points (22.6 ppg.) and boasted the league’s 2nd best rushing defense, allowing just 90.5 rushing yards per game.
Eberflus’s defense is fast, athletic, and swarms to the football and certainly plays up on the speedy turf of Lucas Oil Stadium—giving the Colts a nice homefield advantage.
He’s been the Colts defensive coordinator since 2018, having previously served as the Dallas Cowboys linebackers coach and passing game coordinator (2011-2017) and the Cleveland Browns linebackers coach (2009-10).
Meanwhile, Ed Dodds has been Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s ‘right hand man’ since his arrival in Indianapolis and has been highly regarded for his scouting acumen in league circles.
Dodds has been credited with aiding in the signings of Colts cornerback Kenny Moore and defensive lineman Denico Autry previously, and there’s probably a lot more acquisitions/draft selections that went on behind the scenes regarding his active involvement. His loss would no doubt be a big one to the Colts scouting and football operations department.
Dodds joined the Colts in 2017, having previously served as the Seattle Seahawks’ Senior Executive Personnel Director (2015-2017) and a longtime national scout.
Lastly, the Atlanta Falcons put in a request to interview Colts’ college scouting director Morocco Brown (via Pelissero):
The #Falcons put in a request to interview #Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown for their GM job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2021
Brown joined the Colts in 2017 and previously worked for the Cleveland Browns as VP of Player Personnel (2014-15), Washington Redskins as Director of Player Personnel (2008-14), and Chicago Bears as Assistant Director of Pro Personnel (2001-07). He actually received his start in the NFL with the Colts as a scouting intern many years back (in 2000), but both Brown and Ballard worked together with the Bears—so there was an established working relationship between the two prior to his re-joining the Colts organization.
Obviously, losing any of these three well regarded personnel would be key losses to the Colts, but that’s what a successful season ultimately does. Competing teams look to poach a winning franchise’s top talent.