17-11-2023,
Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called late Sunday night to offer him the head coaching position.A former two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his Xs and Os.But the TV analyst's only coaching experience was a three-year stint at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, where he led the team to a 20-16 record with three playoff appearances.Irsays decision stunned people internally and around the league, though his affinity for Saturday was known throughout the organization. Saturday played 13 seasons for the Colts, made the Pro Bowl six times, helped them win a Chuma Okeke Jersey Super Bowl and is a member of the teams Ring of Honor.Critics immediately went after Irsay for hiring an inexperienced former player instead of elevating someone from the coaching staff, which is typical during in-season firings. Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley previously served as a head coach in Jacksonville from 2013-16. Senior defensive a sistant John Fox spent 16 seasons as head coach in Carolina, Denver and Chicago, and led the Panthers and Broncos to Nikola Vucevic Jersey Super Bowl appearances.Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Irsays decision a head-scratching slap in the face to every coach on that staff in a post on Twitter.Saturdays hiring also didnt sit well with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which fights for equity and inclusion in pro football. The NFL has seven minority head coaches, including Carolina Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks.The Rooney Rule is the only universal hiring policy used by the NFL to promote fairne s and diversity, The Alliance said in a statement. However, (Mondays) news in Indianapolis illuminated a gap in the leagues stated objective. If the spirit of the rule is to expand opportunities, we believe that it must be consistently applied, even in the hiring of interim positions.Irsay and the Colts didnt have to follow the Rooney Rule requirements for interviewing minority candidates because Saturday replaced Frank Reich during the season. The team will have to fulfill those requirements after the season when seeking a permanent hire.Were following the Dwayne Bacon Jersey Rooney Rule to a T. I really look forward to the interview proce s at the end of the season, Irsay said. This wasnt the first time Irsay went after Saturday, who is a paid consultant for the team and was working as an analyst at ESPN. Now understand, weve tried to hire Jeff a couple times, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. We tried to hire him in 2019 as the offensive line coach and we tried to hire him again this year just didnt work out. The timing didnt work out. I spent a lot of time with Jeff like I have with a few of Evan Fournier Jersey the ex-players here, and it doesnt take long to figure out that hes got real leadership in him, real special in that regard. For this eight-game stretch and where were at, we thought he was going to be a really good fit for us.The Colts (3-5-1) are headed nowhere and Matt Ryans benching for inexperienced and overwhelmed quarterback Sam Ehlinger indicates the team has prioritized draft positioning. Reich began each of his five seasons in Indianapolis with a different quarterback, so ensuring a top draft pick to select a potential franchise Jordan Bone Jersey QB would be a wise strategy.That leaves Saturday in a cant-lose position.If he somehow finds a way to lead the Colts to a winning record or even a 4-4 mark over the last eight games, it would be quite an achievement given the state of the team.If the Colts lose enough games to end up with one of the top QBs in the draft, Saturday would have helped set the team up for potential future succe s.Irsay made a bold, outside-the-box move that opened him up for scrutiny and criticism. Its clear he doesnt care about public perception.___ Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at robmaaddi___AP NFL: hub/nfl and AP_NFL in this topic
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