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Jeff Saturday

Colts Fire HC Frank Reich, Name Jeff Saturday Interim Replacement

November 7th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

11:59am: In a surprising move, the Colts have announced former center Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach. The 47-year-old spent all but the final season of his 14-year playing career in Indianapolis, earning a total of six Pro Bowl nods. A member of the team’s Ring of Honor, he has since worked as a consultant with them, along with a role as an ESPN analyst.

The decision to hire from outside the organization is noteworthy, given the presence of far more experienced options in Bradley and Fox. This will mark Saturday’s first coaching role at the college or NFL level, making this a borderline unprecedented hire. A press conference is scheduled for later today.

10:34am: The second in-season head coach firing has taken place in the NFL. Frank Reich has been let go by the Colts, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news.

Reich had increasingly become the subject of scrutiny this season, his fifth leading the Colts’ sideline. The team has run into unexpected offensive struggles, and as the unit’s play-caller, the 60-year-old bore the brunt of criticism. Just last week, however, it had appeared as though his job was safe for at least the immediate future.

Yesterday, Indianapolis suffered a 26-3 loss to New England, representing another low mark on the campaign with respect to the offense. Second-year passer Sam Ehlinger was making his second career start, after being installed as the starter in place of veteran trade acquisition Matt Ryan. That decision, it was later revealed, was driven not by Reich, but rather team owner Jim Irsay.

Another sizeable move came last week, when offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was fired. He did not handle play-calling duties, though, leading to questions of how much of a difference that move would make. It also pointed to Reich’s time with the Colts potentially being in jeopardy barring a significant turnaround. That certainly didn’t take place yesterday, and the team now sits at 3-5-1 on the year.

Indianapolis has faced inconsistency along the offensive line – once the undisputed strength of the team, and one of the best units in the league – and star running back Jonathan Taylor has missed time with injury. Even when healthy, however, he has not played to the potential his first two seasons demonstrated. In the passing game, the team actually ranks in the top-10 in yards per game (257), but Ryan’s struggles with turnovers hamstrung the league’s lowest-scoring team and greatly influenced his benching. The lone move the team made at the trade deadline was sending backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Bills.

Reich will depart with an overall record of 40-33-1. Three of his past four seasons had ended with winning records, but the team’s late-season collapse in 2021 cost them a playoff spot. A return to the postseason was considered a baseline expectation for 2022, especially given the stability Ryan was expected to provide after years of searching for a long-term Andrew Luck replacement. It appears likely the Colts will be kept out of the playoffs once again this year, making the remaining weeks an evaluation period for Ehlinger and the team’s other young players.

The Colts’ remaining staff includes a pair of coaches with HC experience: defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, and defensive assistant John Fox. Former DC Matt Eberflus became the Bears’ head coach this offseason, one year after former OC Nick Sirianni departed for Philadelphia to do the same. Now, all three mainstays on Indy’s sideline are gone, with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team moving forward. Reich joins ex-Panthers bench boss Matt Rhule as coaches now on the lookout for their next employer.

Extra Points: Irsay, Super Bowl, Minor Moves

May 19th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts’ owner Jim Irsay spoke publicly for the first time since being entered into rehab, and Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star noted some of the highlights in a series of tweets. Holder writes that Irsay has been aware of the Colts dealings, and has been following the team through the offseason. This includes conversations with head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • Former Colts’ center Jeff Saturday is prepared to make a pitch for Indianapolis to host the Super Bowl in 2018, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “I’m excited to get in front of the owners and present for our city,” Saturday said. “It’s not about what we did in 2012. I look forward to Super Bowl 52 being in Indianapolis. I think it’ll be a great day for all of us.”
  • The Saints are also vying for the 2018 Super Bowl, led by Jay Cicero of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. “I just know from the 20-something years we’ve been doing this, this is the most creative, thorough (bid). … We’ve put everything on the table. Everything. It’s the most use of our resources,” Cicero said. “Things we’ve never done and things the NFL has never seen before.”
  • The Saints have signed fourth-round pick Khairi Fortt, the team announced on their website NewOrleansSaints.com. Fortt, an outside linebacker out of California, is the final draft pick to sign with the team.
  • The Panthers have signed linebacker Billy Boyko to a two-year deal, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Boyko was made available after being cut by the Raiders.
  • The Titans have signed five players from their rookie minicamp, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The team signed running Waymon James of TCU, receiver Julian Horton of Arkansas, offensive lineman Viondy Merisma, cornerback Winston Wright and linebacker David Gilbert. The Titans released fullback Quinn Johnson, cornerback George Baker, linebacker Jamal Merrell and receiver Eric Ward (who was waived/injured) to make room on the roster.