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Jim Irsay’s liking of Jeff Saturday is great news for Jacksonville Jaguars

By Carlos Sanchez

Interim head coach Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts is seen during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Interim head coach Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts is seen during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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The Indianapolis Colts are currently in the process of looking for their next head coach. They gave Frank Reich the boot last year and Jeff Saturday got the job on an interim basis, an odd choice when you take into account his only experience coaching came at the High School level. Not surprisingly, Indy went 1-7 with Saturday at the helm. But in spite of his losing record, he’s reportedly at the top of owner Jim Irsay’s list of candidates for the job.

Jordan Schultz of The Score reports that Saturday is Irsay’s top choice, some days ago after sharing the news that Irsay believes Saturday has the capabilities to be a head coach. On the other hand, Schultz says others in the Colts’ front office prefer leading candidates.

Saturday was one of Indy’s top players in the 2000s. After going undrafted in 1998, he sign with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Colts, where he played 13 seasons. In 2012, Saturday signed with the Green Bay Packers and retired the following year. He appeared in a total of 211 games with 202 starts, six Pro Bowl selections, and two All-Pro designations. Before becoming the Indianapolis head coach, he was a TV analyst for ESPN.

Jeff Saturday isn’t qualified to be a head coach in the NFL

Jeff Saturday got off to a hot start last year, beating the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the Colts went on to lose seven games, which is why his hiring raised eyebrows around the league. Nobody will deny he was a great player for Indianapolis and seems to have been well-liked by his teammates. Having said that, he doesn’t have the qualifications to be a head coach in the pros.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a matter of Xs and Os; you need more than that to succeed as a head coach in the NFL. Simply, Saturday lacks the experience and the only reason he has a shot at the job is Irsay’s fondness for him. Had it been someone else, he would need to work his way up the coaching ranks.

All things considered, the Colts will struggle to win the game with Saturday leading the way. On the other hand, this bodes well for the Jaguars. Facing Indy twice a year won’t mean two guaranteed wins but they will have a favorable matchup. They will still need to show up and play but their chances of sweeping their AFC South foes will increase considerably.

The Jaguars had their fair share of bad hires before they found Doug Pederson, who helped them become a playoff team in his first season at the helm. They must feel great knowing they now have the most stable head-coaching situation in the division.

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