The Colts don't want to change the rule that allowed Josh McDaniels to spurn them at the ninth hour and remain with the Patriots.
NFL owners tabled a proposal this week that would've allowed teams to hire a head coach while his club is still alive in the playoffs. Under the current rule, teams can't officially bring aboard coaches until their teams are eliminated.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard seemed peeved at McDaniels' betrayal, holding a bizarre press conference in which he declared the rivalry between Indianapolis and New England to be "back on" (the Patriots have outscored the Colts 122-56 over their last three meetings). Despite that, Ballard says he's content with the status quo.
"When you're a playoff team, you're trying to eliminate all the distractions that you can. And we're going to be a playoff team and we're going to have these issues," he said, per the Indy Star. "It becomes a slippery slope. We have rules in place for a reason. I think they're good rules. It gives you a chance to interview and then, after the season, whatever happens, happens. In our case, he changed his mind and we moved on."
Since the Colts are against implementing the "McDaniels rule," it's not a surprise the majority of NFL teams followed suit. Our friend Seth Wickersham reports Bill Belichick also vociferously expressed his opposition to the proposed change.
The Colts wound up hiring ex-Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who will inherit McDaniels' handpicked assistant coaches.
The league could still look at implementing the rule at its May meetings, though it appears unlikely.
