Colts officially add Robert Mathis to coaching staff as pass rush consultant

Mathis, who notched 123 sacks in his Colts career, has been working with the team since the offseason

Robert Mathis is officially back with the Colts. On Monday, the team announced that Mathis has been added to the coaching staff as a pass rush consultant. Mathis has been working for the team for the past few months, so Monday's announcement was just the Colts' way of making it official. 

"He can show them, but he can also communicate to them: Here's the footwork, here's the hands, here's how to set the offensive lineman up and all those kinds of things," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said, via the team's website. "He's really good at relationships. He's got a great demeanor about him. He's got a great sense of calm to him. He always stays pretty steady and pretty measured, so I think he'd be an outstanding coach."

A fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2003, Mathis spent his entire 13-year career with the club, retiring at the end of last season. In his career, he racked up 123 sacks -- the most in Colts franchise history and the 17th most in NFL history. So, he certainly knows how to get after the quarterback.

And the Colts could use all the help they can get. Andrew Luck's lengthy recovery from his injury is the most important storyline coming out of Indianapolis, as the Colts are off to an 0-2 start without Luck, but their defense is also struggling. Though they played well against a short-handed Cardinals offense, allowing 16 points, they were gouged by Jared Goff and the Rams for 46 points in Week 1. The Colts rank in the middle of pack in sacks with five, but it's worth noting that four of those sacks came against a Cardinals offensive line that is really struggling to protect Carson Palmer. 

Hopefully for the Colts' sake, Mathis can begin working his magic on the team's pass rushers. Because without Luck and a decent defense, the Colts could challenge the Jets for the top pick in the draft. 

Regardless of how the Colts' pass rush fares under Mathis' tutelage, it sounds like he's enjoyed the transition from player to coach.

"I think it's good therapy because you kind of wean yourself off the game," Mathis said in the spring. "It's really helping me. I just love the atmosphere. I love the locker room aspect, the team aspect. Just being around and giving my knowledge to the younger guys, I think everyone wins."