by Jeff Saturday wants Colts fans, including those who supported him as interim head coach, to know that he is still a “big fan” of the organization.
After Frank Reich was fired in the middle of a 3-51 start to the season, team owner Jim Irsay named the coach on an interim basis Saturday. On Tuesday, the Colts announced the hiring of Shane Steichen as the team’s next head coach.
On Saturday, he tweeted a video message immediately after the Colts’ announcement expressing his gratitude to the organization and the fans.
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Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday greets tight end Nikola Kalinic before an NFL football game against the Los Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/David Becker)
The former six-time Pro Bowl center shared his well wishes for Steichen, saying he’s “still a huge Colt fan.”
“First, I just want to say to the Colts organization and Colts Nation how much I appreciate the opportunity,” Saturday said. “I am very grateful for the last eight weeks of the season and the opportunity to represent them. I thank the coaches for all their time, energy and effort.
“To all the players, I put it out there each and every week. I can’t tell you how much I respect and appreciate what each and every play does, not just for the Colts but for the NFL, and what they do.” . put on the line each and every week”.
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He also mentioned the petition started by some fans, who encouraged the Colts not to sign Saturday. At one point in the video, he even joked that his wife’s signature could have ended up on the petition.
Saturday was considered a finalist for the full-time coaching job, despite going 1-7 during his time in charge. He decided to quit his job as an NFL analyst to become an interim coach, despite having no coaching experience at the professional or college level.
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But, Irsay appeared to continue to support Saturday.
“(I certainly) want to thank Jeff Saturday for his commitment and professional effort for what he did, going into a very difficult situation and doing an admirable job,” Irsay said during Steichen’s introductory news conference Tuesday. “I really appreciate Jeff and thank him. He means a lot to this organization.”
Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team’s practice facility on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Saturday played in the NFL with the Colts from 1999 to 2011 and won a Super Bowl with the team. He spent one season with the Packers.
Saturday’s only football coaching experience was at the 2017-2020 high school level. Before taking the interim coaching job, he also worked as a consultant for the Colts.
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Steichen served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Quarterback Jalen Hurts praised Steichen for his ability to “put guys in positions to make plays.”
Now he will be tasked with turning around a franchise that has spent the past few seasons in a desperate search for its next franchise quarterback.
