Colts' Irsay defends Saturday hire: 'Fully capable'

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts proprietor Jim Irsay connected Monday nighttime vigorously defended his stunning determination to prosecute erstwhile Indianapolis violative lineman Jeff Saturday arsenic his team's interim caput coach, saying the first-time NFL manager is "fully experienced enough" and "fully capable."

Irsay fired manager Frank Reich connected Monday greeting pursuing late-night deliberations with wide manager Chris Ballard connected Sunday. Then, soon afterward, the squad announced the hiring of Saturday, presently an ESPN analyst. It is Saturday's archetypal coaching acquisition supra the precocious schoolhouse level.

Irsay spoke astatine magnitude Monday nighttime astir the toughness Saturday displayed during 13 seasons with the Colts, with whom helium made 5 Pro Bowls.

"Want to stake against this guy?" Irsay exclaimed. "Put your wealth down. [I'd] emotion to spot it, due to the fact that I cognize what he's about."

Irsay said the determination to occurrence Reich was hard but attributed it to a consciousness of knowing it was clip based connected his agelong acquisition arsenic a second-generation NFL owner.

"There's nary regularisation publication that tells you, 'Now you should marque a change,'" Irsay said. "It's thing from being successful the league 52 years. It's intuitive."

Irsay said the intent is to determination guardant with Saturday for the last 8 games of the regular season, aft which the Colts are expected to behaviour a ceremonial coaching search. But Irsay made nary effort to fell his penchant that things enactment retired and Saturday gain the occupation connected a imperishable basis.

"This is for 8 games, hopefully more," helium said.

Irsay was pressed connected whether the squad volition genuinely prosecute an honorable coaching hunt that afloat complies with the Rooney Rule, which mandates that NFL teams interrogation astatine slightest 2 outer number candidates earlier moving guardant with a head-coaching hire.

He responded adamantly, saying determination would beryllium a compliant hunt portion besides noting his hiring successful 2002 of Tony Dungy, who went connected to go the archetypal Black caput manager to triumph a Super Bowl, and his successor, Jim Caldwell, who is besides Black.

As for the destiny of Ballard, Irsay rapidly dismissed immoderate thoughts of parting with the sixth-year GM.

"There's nary question astir that," Irsay said. "Honestly, it's not truly adjacent successful the consciousness of my mind. ... The guy's a winner, and he's been immensely successful."

Ballard revealed that the Colts tried successful 2019 to prosecute Saturday arsenic violative enactment manager and approached him astir a presumption earlier this year, too. Neither overture resulted successful him joining the staff, but the franchise has had involvement going backmost respective years successful Saturday, who has been a advisor for the Colts and is adjacent to Irsay.

Saturday, who was undrafted, leaned into his past inexperience.

"Here's a large portion astir my career," helium said. "I came in, cipher expects anything. I'm here. Nobody expects anything. Hopefully it'll spell highly well. But I person nary preconceived conception that I'm gonna beryllium immoderate spectacular anything."

Saturday volition manager his archetypal crippled Sunday connected the roadworthy against the Las Vegas Raiders. He said helium had not yet decided who volition beryllium his violative playcaller but was adjacent to making a determination Monday evening. Sam Ehlinger volition proceed arsenic the starting quarterback, Saturday said.