Until this morning, the Colts were considered the favorite to land Josh McDaniels as their head coach. Now that the Titans have parted ways with Mike Mularkey, things may get complicated.
As of yesterday, it was evident that McDaniels was going to accept a head coaching job. Ian Rapoport reported that McDaniels was reaching out to his preferred assistants. With that in mind at a time when openings were scarce, all signs pointed to the Colts landing him.
#Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has indicated to potential assistants to wait for him. The belief is he takes the #Colts job, as he's the clear favorite, sources say. Indy's other finalist is Mike Vrabel.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2018
Most assumed that he’d end up in Indianapolis over other open jobs. The Colts have an attractive job with an All-Pro-caliber franchise quarterback and a high pick in this year’s draft. Based on what everyone knew as of yesterday, the Colts themselves also appeared to be all-in on McDaniels. Now that the Titans are in the market for a head coach, the Colts may need a backup plan.
Filed to ESPN: the Titans and head coach Mike Mularkey have mutually agreed to part ways, according to a league source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 15, 2018
So Josh McDaniels goes from being a favorite in Indianapolis....to being a favorite in Tennessee. McDaniels will be getting an HC job.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 15, 2018
Why the Colts should worry:
While the potential of Luck’s return coupled with the addition of a major talent such as Saquon Barkley should be attractive to most candidates, many are probably looking for more stable rosters. Though the Titans can’t offer the same prestige as the Colts, they do offer a more stable team for McDaniels to inherit. And Titans general manager Jon Robinson used to work with McDaniels in New England.
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Marcus Mariota and the Titans’ offense had a successful season overall, and not much about their offensive makeup will change going into next year. They will have Demarco Murray, Derrick Henry, and Delanie Walker back, providing plenty of weapons for McDaniels to use.
The Colts have Andrew Luck and a revered receiving core, but Luck’s health is a major question mark for them at this point.
In today’s league, most coaches will want to be sure they have a solid chance at success. Many franchises will move on without a second thought if they sense stagnation.
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With the results of 2017 on the table for both teams, it is time for the Colts to truly sell themselves. Until now, they have likely been selling the appeal of Luck’s future performance. To win McDaniels over they will have to convince him that their future is brighter in Indianapolis than it is in Tennessee.