Colts’ hire of Saturday is blasted by critics
Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called late Sunday night to offer him the head-coaching position.
A two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his X's and O's.
But the TV analyst's only coaching experience was a threeyear stint at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, where he led the team to a 20-16 record.
Irsay's 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 Super Bowl and is a member of the team's 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 inseason firings. Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley previously served as a head coach in Jacksonville from 2013 through '16. Senior defensive assistant John Fox spent 16 seasons as head coach in Carolina, Denver and Chicago, and led the Panthers and Broncos to Super Bowl appearances.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Irsay's decision “a head-scratching slap in the face to every coach on that staff ” in a post on Twitter.
Saturday's hiring also didn't sit well with the Fritz Pollard Alliance,
which fights for equity and inclusion in pro football.
“The Rooney Rule is the only universal hiring policy used by the NFL to promote fairness and diversity,” The Alliance said in a statement. “However, (Monday's) news in Indianapolis illuminated a gap in the league's stated objective . ... We believe that it must be consistently applied, even in the hiring of interim positions.”
The Colts are 3-5-1, and Matt Ryan's benching for inexperienced and overwhelmed quarterback Sam Ehlinger indicates the team has prioritized draft positioning. Saturday's first task is to prepare the team for Sunday's game against the Raiders in Las Vegas. ESPN reported that Saturday
has assigned play-calling duties to assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier, who has no experience calling plays. Briefly: Safety Johnathan Abram, who failed to meet the expectations of a first-round draft pick, was waived by Las Vegas . ... Giants safety Xavier McKinney accepted responsibility for the off-road accident that injured his left hand during the bye week and will force him to miss at least the next four games. ... Atlanta placed left guard Matt Hennessy (knee) on injured reserve . ... The NFL has made its first change of the season to its “Sunday Night Football” schedule by moving the Nov. 20 game between Kansas City and the L.A. Chargers into prime time.