ESPN's Dan Orlovsky Discusses Possibly Joining Jeff Saturday's Colts Coaching Staff

Dan Orlovsky didn't rule out the idea of joining now-former ESPN colleague Jeff Saturday on the Indianapolis Colts' coaching staff.

The Colts shocked the NFL world when they announced Saturday will be their interim head coach following the firing of Frank Reich.

Orlovsky said Tuesday on The Dan Patrick Show that he hasn't been asked directly about going to Indianapolis, but he and Saturday "have had conversations about coaching" (via Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio):

"We’ve had some really good, in-depth conversations of like what coaching looks like. Who are the good ones, who are the bad ones. My interest level in it. Where I am in the present moment. That’s when I look back and I’m like, ‘Aha.’ You know, like, I think he was gathering kind of a feel and information without revealing some of the stuff that was going on behind the scenes."

Orlovsky added he "won't lobby" for a job with the Colts but would like to break into the NFL coaching ranks one day.

The 39-year-old made 26 appearances in the NFL over seven seasons. He has gone on to work for ESPN, where he's one of the network's most prominent analysts.

It might only be a matter of time before Orlovsky makes the transition to an NFL sideline. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in January 2020 his colleague had "[received] calls from NFL teams to gauge his interest in leaving the network for an offensive coaching job."

For now, the Colts have a quarterbacks coach in Scott Milanovich. Leaving that aside, now probably isn't the right time for Indianapolis to bring Orlovsky aboard.

Saturday, who has no NFL or college coaching experience, is learning on the job. The last thing he should do is surround himself with high-level assistants without any experience, too.

The optics would also be terrible.

The Rooney Rule doesn't apply to interim head coaches, but Saturday's hiring reflected for many how minority coaches are continually bypassed or ignored for the best coaching jobs.

Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters the organization intends to follow the Rooney Rule when it launches a full coaching search in the offseason. At the same time, he said Saturday will coach the team for eight games "and hopefully more."

Indianapolis wouldn't be evaluating all of the candidates if it's already tipping the scales in Saturday's favor.

Now imagine what the reaction would be if the Colts turned around and hired Orlovsky in a high-level offensive capacity. Considering working on the offensive side is often a pipeline to a head-coaching role, critics might contend that Orlovsky got to skip the line.

As much as he could relish the opportunity, the former NFL quarterback might be better off cooling his heels until the offseason.