Upon shocking the NFL world and making Jeff Saturday the team’s interim head coach, a distinct vibe emerged from Colts owner Jim Irsay that he already had decided, unofficially, to give the job to Saturday after the season. That didn’t stop a slew of candidates from interviewing for the job.
And so, apparently, Irsay is using the process to legitimize the unofficial decision to hire Saturday. The longer Saturday remains in the mix, the greater the chance he gets the job.
That’s the big takeaway from the news that Saturday will get a second interview. He’s in it. And he may very well win it.
Some think that it will come down to Saturday and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. It’s ultimately Irsay’s decision. If he wants to hire someone that didn’t even get an interview with any of the other four teams looking for head coaches, that’s his business.
And it ultimately comes down to business. Even as the Colts were falling apart with Saturday running the show, folks filled up the stadium. Which gives Irsay the ability to let Saturday secure on-the-job experience to make up for the experience that he necessarily lacked — before he got eight games of on-the-job experience to end the 2022 season.