Rob Chudzinski hired by Indianapolis Colts
Rob Chudzinski on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half. Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Well, Rob Chudzinski gets to work with Trent Richardson, as the Indianapolis Colts have announced that they hired Chud as a special assistant to head coach Chuck Pagano, who could use assistance on the offensive side of the ball. Pagano is clearly better at coaching defenses than offenses, and Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton hasn’t exactly been praised frequently lately. Hamilton has drawn the ire of some for not throwing the ball enough with Andrew Luck and instead stubbornly opting to run a power-running offense despite having one of the league’s top ten quarterbacks.
Chudzinski is one of the most creative play-callers and offensive coaches in the league, and his desire to go vertical is similar to what Bruce Arians liked to do while with the Colts as the offensive coordinator. This hire is an incredible one for the Colts, because they are getting an HC-caliber coach as an assistant, and they barely have to pay him. Not only were the Cleveland Browns stupid for firing Chud after just one season (and with bad QBs and RBs at that), but they also have to pay him big bucks, allowing the Colts to pay him pennies on the dollar to help out.
Pagano said, “Rob and I have a long professional relationship and his résumé speaks for itself. He brings a wealth of knowledge and will be a tremendous help to our entire team moving forward. Needless to say, we’re excited to have ‘Chud’ joining our family.”
Dwayne Allen is one of the most underrated tight ends in the game, and his season was cut short last year. However, he will be health next season and should break out into a star, especially with Chud coaching him. Chudzinski is one of the best coaches in the NFL at helping tight ends, so expect big things from Allen and a solid season from the mildly overrated Coby Fleener.