If one were to say that the 2022/23 NFL season was a disappointment for the Indianapolis Colts, it’d be the understatement of the year (even though it is only January 19). The Colts were projected by many to win the AFC South with newly acquired starting quarterback Matt Ryan in a year where Frank Reich guided his team to playoff glory.
In reality, Reich was fired mid-season, replaced by an interim coach with no experience — Jeff Saturday — and Ryan was benched numerous times. Those inside the organization will have their pick of the litter at quarterback next year with the team likely eager to move on from the struggling veteran. Indianapolis has a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after finishing the year 4-12-1 and the quarterback market is full of solid options.
The Colts have a plethora of options to lead their offense next year, as well as a talented supporting cast. Indianapolis is a desirable location for many coaching candidates, the question is who will the organization hire? Similar to quarterbacks, the Colts will have a handful of options — including some of the hottest names on the market.
DraftKings Sportsbook has posted odds for those most likely to be standing on the Indianapolis sideline next season. There are some familiar names and some wild cards thrown into the mix. Before diving into all of the odds, let’s discuss some of the hottest names on the streets.
One name that’ll undoubtedly be in the running — Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay said so himself — is the aforementioned interim coach, Jeff Saturday. The long-time NFL veteran has been given +1000 odds to lead his former team full-time next year. While he is a popular figure within the fanbase, the Colts have to get this head coaching hire right, which raises some questions among the team’s executives.
The name seemingly picking up steam every day is Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy, who has been Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator in Kansas City for years, has been rumored to be getting a head coaching job for the last couple of offseasons. However, he’s remained with the Chiefs despite the rumors, but he now finds himself front and center for a head coaching job again. Bieniemy is the favorite to land the job on DraftKings as of Thursday at +300 odds.
The others are more long shots; some familiar names do pop up though. These include Leslie Frazier (+450), DeMeco Ryans (+600), Dan Quinn (+600), Sean Payton (+1500), Brian Flores (+3000) and Gus Bradley (+4000).
Finally, there’s Peyton Manning. Is there actually a chance the franchise legend and Super Bowl-winning quarterback would return to the Colts in a coaching capacity? Probably not right now. As is the case with anything Manning sets his mind to these days, though, you can’t quite rule it out completely. DraftKings hasn’t done so as the 46-year-old has +7500 odds.
Here is the full list of Indianapolis Colts next head coach odds (from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday):
Eric Bieniemy +300
Leslie Frazier +450
DeMeco Ryans +600
Dan Quinn +600
Raheem Morris +800
Shane Steichen +1000
Jeff Saturday +1000
Ejiro Evero +1000
Mike Kafka +1500
Sean Payton +1500
Aaron Glenn +1500
Jonathan Gannon +2000
Brian Flores +3000
Darrell Bevell +3500
Steve Wilks +3500
Ray Ventrone +4000
Gus Bradley +4000
Shane Waldron +4000
Josh McCown +4000
Kellen Moore +5000
Byron Leftwich +5000
Bill O’Brien +6000
Brian Johnson +6000
Brian Callahan +6000
Wes Phillips +6000
Matt Campbell +6000
Peyton Manning +7500
Ken Dorsey +7500
