At the end of the 2024 season, the Indianapolis Colts made several staffing decisions - some expected, and some less so. While owner Jim Irsay decided to keep general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, to the shock of many, they chose to let Gus Bradley, the Colts defensive coordinator, go. Bradley's release was less of a shock; he was disliked by many among the Colts' fanbase for his predictable schemes and inability to develop a strong defense.
After interviewing multiple candidates, the Colts decided to replace Bradley with Lou Anarumo, previously the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. Anarumo brought James Bettcher with him to serve as linebackers coach. But there are still other defensive coaching positions that need to be filled, with openings for coaching the secondary and defensive backs.
Since hiring Bettcher, the Colts haven't made any more staffing decisions, but they finally appear to be moving forward in filling out the rest of their coaching staff. According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, they are now pursuing Jerome Henderson.
Who is Jerome Henderson?
Henderson began his football career as a player, first for the Clemson Tigers before being drafted in 1991. He was a cornerback for numerous teams - the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills, and the New York Jets - and played in two Super Bowls. His last season was with the Jets, and he began his coaching career in 2007.
The Jets first hired Henderson as their defensive backs coach, where he remained for two years. When head coach Eric Mangini left New York for the Cleveland Browns, Henderson went with him, and was the defensive backs coach for three seasons there.
In 2012, Henderson moved on to the Dallas Cowboys, and then in 2016, was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as the defensive passing game coordinator. That year, he and the Falcons competed in Super Bowl LI, where they narrowly lost in overtime. After the 2019 season, he was fired, and landed with the New York Giants in 2020, where he's remained for the past four seasons.
Henderson has been described by Wink Martindale as "the best secondary coach in the league."
It's not known what role the Colts are considering Henderson for, but he certainly seems to have plenty of experience and knowledge to recommend him.