Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay reportedly still believes in Jeff Saturday, giving credence to all those rumors that the team’s interim head coach will get the full-time job.
A report Thursday by The Score’s Jordan Schultz noted that “Irsay believes Jeff Saturday has the capabilities to be a head coach. That’s why Saturday’s in this position and why Indianapolis might deliberate and take their time with a decision.”
I'm told #Colts owner Jim Irsay believes Jeff Saturday has the capabilities to be a head coach. That's why Saturday’s in this position and why Indianapolis might deliberate and take their time with a decision. Saturday would pick his own staff, which he relayed in his interview.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 19, 2023
Irsay must have seen something the rest of the NFL world did not this year. Saturday didn’t do much to distinguish himself after taking over as the interim coach on Nov. 7.
Coming in with no coaching experience above the high school level, Saturday went 1-7 with the Colts and endured criticism for clock management issues and personnel decisions. Despite all that, recent reports have suggested that Saturday will ultimately win the job.
Ultimately, this is Irsay’s team, and if he wants Saturday back, he’ll get him. It’s worth recalling that Irsay hired Saturday for the interim role despite a report stating that executive members of the organization warned him against the move.
To be fair to Saturday, the Colts dealt with injuries to key players, an aging quarterback and other issues. Frank Reich got fired after a 3-5-1 start. And Saturday has deep ties to the team, as a former Pro Bowl player with the organization and a member of their Super Bowl-winning team during the Peyton Manning era.
But the general consensus seems to be there are more qualified candidates out there. One NFL insider recently said that the Colts hiring Saturday would make a “mockery” of the head coach hiring process.
