It's the story that has consumed NFL fans since the season wrapped up with the Eagles winning the Super Bowl on Sunday: Josh McDaniels' decision to become the Indianapolis Colts' head coach...and then his decision not to. McDaniels changed his mind, electing to stay in New England instead of taking over in Indy.
In the wake of this weird situation, it seems everyone is firing shots. Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy ripped McDaniels for messing with the lives of a number of assistant coaches, who had left other jobs to join him in Indianapolis and now will likely be replaced.
Former Patriots and Colts tight end Jermaine Wiggins sided with McDaniels and dissed the Colts—specifically the Colts' leadership—in the process. Wiggins played for the Patriots in 2000 and 2001 and the Colts in 2002. He won a Super Bowl with New England in 2001.
"Who the hell wants to go to the Colts organization and play for [team owner and CEO Jim] Irsay," Wiggins said, via TMZ. "I mean, that place is an absolute sh*t show."
And then there was this incredible moment from Indy GM Chris Ballard's post-McDaniels fallout press conference.
Colts GM Chris Ballard had an epic mic drop moment at the end of his press conference: “The rivalry is back on” pic.twitter.com/7j6VmeODcO
"The rivalry is back on," Ballard said, referring to the Colts/Patriots rivalry that existed for years as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady duked it out for AFC supremacy. It appears there's some real bad blood between these organizations right now.
McDaniels has also reportedly lost his agent.
Source says agent Bob LaMonte, who represents Josh McDaniels, Colts GM Chris Ballard and many other coaches/execs, is terminating his relationship with McDaniels. https://t.co/jgWVRaKW2b
So why did McDaniels ditch Indy? Some people think he got a hint that current New England head coach Bill Belichick would be retiring in the near future. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported a more pragmatic theory.
In the past 48 hours, Patriots owner Robert Kraft began talking with Josh McDaniels and ultimately wound up sweetening his contract, helping to entice him to remain in New England, per sources. Bill Belichick has his OC back.
Perhaps McDaniels' thinking was driven by some combination of both. Or maybe he just decided he didn't want to go to Indy, where job security isn't guaranteed and neither is Andrew Luck's health.
Maybe we'll never know—but hopefully, someday we will. This could make for a great mini-30 for 30.
