The Colts made headlines on Monday when the team decided to fire head coach Frank Reich, naming former center Jeff Saturday the interim head coach for the rest of the year. The decision to appoint Saturday drew widespread surprise as Saturday has no former NFL coaching experience.
Team owner Jim Irsay defended the decision even claiming that Saturday could remain head coach beyond the 2022-23 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. General manager Chris Ballard claimed that the Colts attempted to bring Saturday into the league coaching circle in 2019 as an offensive line coach and approached him about a position this year, as well. Saturday has reportedly served as a consultant for the team, with Irsay contacting him as recently as Sunday during the team’s loss to the Patriots to inquire about blocking issues, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
Here are a few other rumors concerning the Colts:
- In response to former Colts head coach Tony Dungy‘s recent accusations that the team benched starting quarterback Matt Ryan in order to stay within the boundaries of an injury guarantee in Ryan’s contract, Irsay attempted to set the record straight, according to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Irsay insisted that there are no playing time guarantees in Ryan’s contract. “There’s no such thing,” Irsay claimed. “There’s no bonus if Matt plays a certain amount of time.” If such an incentive does exist, it has not been reported.
- Mishandling the revolving door of quarterbacks in Indianapolis was a factor that led to Reich’s dismissal, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer posits that, instead of going after former quarterback Carson Wentz, the team should have moved up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, something he reports “was a very real consideration for Ballard and Reich early in the process.” The team instead selected Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye, allowing the Bears the opportunity to move up and select Fields. The Colts would later trade Wentz away to Washington after one season.
- One of the other quarterback situations that didn’t work out in the long run for Indianapolis was the signing of Philip Rivers in 2020. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Ballard signed Rivers expecting the veteran to lead the team’s offense for multiple years. Although Rivers did take the Colts to the playoffs, he retired after one season with the team, leading the Colts to make more moves for Wentz and, eventually, Ryan in the years to follow.
A playing time guarantee and an injury guarantee are not the same thing.
To sum up: they’re tanking.
What amuses me is how fragile some organizations are despite the ongoing bloat of adding front office and coaching personnel to supposedly strengthened themselves. In the Colts case, all it took was a playoff costing loss to the Jaguars to start the dominoes crashing down.
I find it stunning that the Colts didn’t build a line around Luck. Only build one with washed up QB’s, less this season. That’s original!
That team has been a shot show since the big head hurt his neck. This being the second tank should not be allowed and the other owners should be bullshit.
What do you know?
Irsay said Saturday is here for 8 games hopefully more, I read this as he meant making the playoffs this season while it seems everyone else read it as he wants him as coach beyond the rest of the season. That may be the case but I think it is more of the optimism that they could still eke out a playoff bid.
“Should’ve moved up to select Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields”
Irsay wouldn’t have had the patience to wait the season and a half it’s taken Fields to develop. He would’ve had him benched or traded.
I’m wondering how much latitude Saturday will have in making a QB switch when it was Irsay who shelved Ryan. Will he have to make a phone call upstairs for approval first?
He looks like Mr. Pitt in the picture. Must have white socks!
Irsay is a buffoon like his father before him who has no business running a NFL team.
What do you “run” Skippy?
Gee timmy timmy Tommy gee whizzed in his mother’s panties. You knucklehead.
The owner is an idiot like his father. The old man ran Johnny U out of town like the son ran Manning out. No playoff wins since. Irsay should let the coaches run the team and stay out of it. Nothing wrong with Reich, but he will land on his feet with another team where he is respected. Colts are now in a rebuild, where playoffs were within reach,
Magnoliabuck- you said no playoff wins since Manning left (well, you said ran out of town, though you’re wrong). Check that playoff record again o’ dumb one. Luck had 5 playoff wins.
About 6-8 teams could also say they should have moved up and drafted Fields. And the 3 teams that passed on him who took QB’s also could say they should have drafted Fields. It’s becoming evident Fields was and is the best QB of that draft