On Thursday, the word from Hawaii was that Packers center Jeff Saturday would take some time to consider whether to keep playing after this weekend’s Pro Bowl.
Saturday has sped up the process. Saturday appeared on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis on Friday and said that he would be retiring after Sunday’s game.
“We’ll finish it with sunsets in Hawaii and call it a much better career than I would have anticipated,” Saturday said on the Grady and Big Joe Show.
Saturday will be closing out a 14-year career with his sixth Pro Bowl nod, although he did end the season on the bench after the Packers opted to go with Evan Dietrich-Smith in the middle of the line in the final weeks of the regular season and playoffs. Saturday started 182 games for the Colts after signing with them in 1999, all but the final 16 of them with Peyton Manning at quarterback during a very fruitful run for the Colts that included a Super Bowl championship.
Saturday also served on the Executive Committee for the players during the 2011 lockout. His emotional hug with Patriots owner Robert Kraft when the matter was finally settled made for a good way to end the contentiousness and get back to football.
Not bad for a guy who got cut by the Ravens in 1998 as an undrafted player.