Colts' Defensive Coaching Staff Sees Another Shakeup

Another assistant is reportedly on the move for the Indianapolis Colts.

According to a recent report from CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz, the Arizona Cardinals are expected to hire Colts defensive quality control coach Brent Jackson in an assistant defensive backs coach–type role.

The #Cardinals are expected to hire #Colts defensive quality control coach Brent Jackson in an assistant defensive backs coach type capacity, sources tell @CBSSports.

Worked for Indy the last four years. Before Indy, worked with DBs at the college level at Oregon and Auburn. pic.twitter.com/HhYxOAkzkZ
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 19, 2026

Jackson has spent the last four seasons with Indianapolis, beginning in 2022 as part of the Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellowship before transitioning into a full-time defensive quality control role.

Prior to arriving in the NFL, he worked extensively with defensive backs at the college level, including stops at Oregon and Auburn, along with earlier roles at Louisiana and Illinois.

From a Colts perspective, this departure does not register as a franchise-altering loss.

Per Pro Football Focus, Indianapolis’ defensive backfield ranked 30th out of 32 teams last season, allowing 247.9 passing yards per game and 24 total passing touchdowns. That unit struggled with consistency on the back end, and while quality control coaches play an important behind-the-scenes role in preparation and film breakdown, it is difficult to argue that Jackson’s presence dramatically shifted outcomes.

The Colts have already hired Jeremy Bruce and Dillon Doyle as new defensive quality control coaches earlier this offseason, signaling internal reshuffling within the defensive staff. With Lou Anarumo now tasked with steering the defensive vision, there is clearly a broader recalibration underway.

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Looks like the Colts have hired two new Defensive Quality Control coaches

Jeremy Bruce — formerly the UNLV OLB coach that has spent most of his career at the college ranks

Dillon Doyle — formerly a DQC with the Bills last season. Baylor linebacker back in 2022
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) February 13, 2026

When Jackson does officially land in Arizona, it will represent a professional step forward into a more specialized defensive backs capacity. For Indianapolis, it reinforces the reality that this defensive staff is still being constructed in Anarumo’s image.

Chris Ballard’s focus now should be straightforward: build the structure correctly from the ground up.

That means aligning position coaches and assistants with a specific identity rather than patching pieces together. Given where the secondary ranked a year ago, incremental won’t be enough anyway.

Jackson’s expected exit won’t cripple the Colts.

But it does underscore that the defensive rebuild isn’t just about personnel on Sundays — it’s about recalibrating the voices that make a difference in the meeting rooms.

Indianapolis still has significant questions to answer in the secondary heading into 2026. Whether that improvement comes through personnel additions, schematic adjustments, or further staff changes remains to be seen, but the expectation is clear: the results have to improve.

Staff movement like this is part of the churn of an NFL offseason, yet it also highlights just how intentional the Colts must be as they reshape a defense that simply wasn’t good enough.