Jeff Saturday Thanks Colts for Interim HC Opportunity After Shane Steichen Hire

Former Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday thanked the organization for the opportunity on Tuesday after news broke that Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen had been hired for the full-time gig.

Saturday said, in part:

"I'm so grateful for the last eight weeks of the season and the opportunity to represent you guys. I appreciate the coaches for all of your time, energy and effort. To all of the players, laying it out there each and every week, I can't tell you how much I respect and appreciate what each and every player—not only for the Colts, but the NFL—do, and what they put on the line each and every week. It was an absolute blessing. I look fondly upon it. Wish we would've done better, but ultimately that is where it is. So I want to wish Coach Steichen the best of luck. I'm still a huge Colt fan and pulling for you guys."

Saturday's midseason hiring after Frank Reich was fired following a 3-5-1 start was a stunning decision. It was met with surprise and some disdain around the football world, given that Saturday had never held down a coaching position at the professional or collegiate levels.

Nonetheless, the interim head coach appeared to silence his critics—at least temporarily—when the Colts won their first game under his watch.

The honeymoon was short-lived—the Colts then lost seven straight games to close the season.

Saturday, 47, was among the large contingent of potential coaches the team interviewed for the vacancy. But ultimately, Steichen won the gig.

In many ways, Steichen's journey directly parallels that of Reich, who also took over after being the Eagles' offensive coordinator. Reich won the Super Bowl in the 2017 season on Doug Pederson's staff—Steichen came up just short with the Eagles in 2022, which lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35.

The biggest question at the top of the Steichen era is the quarterback position, which has remained in flux since Andrew Luck's surprise retirement in 2019. Addressing that need is a huge point of emphasis for the Colts.

As for Saturday, his future remains up in the air. It's unclear if another NFL position will await after his struggles as an interim head coach. On the other hand, he was thrust into a nearly impossible position without the requisite experience to navigate it.

At the very least, the fact that Colts owner Jim Irsay thought highly enough of Saturday to appoint him to the position in the first place says something about Saturday, tough tenure or not.