The Indianapolis Colts are expected to announce their new head coach shortly following the conclusion of Super Bowl LVII, and one of the team’s star players advocated for interim head coach Jeff Saturday to get the job.
While it’s safe to say the majority of the fanbase is against Saturday becoming the new head coach, linebacker Shaquille Leonard said on the Pat McAfee show Friday that he would love to see the team run it back with the coach who finished the 2022 season.
“I hate that he gets a lot of hate because coming in Week 8 or Week 9 and not knowing a coach on your coaching staff, how do you expect him to come in and go 8-0 or 9-0,” Leonard said. “Give him a full offseason, give him his full coaching staff and I think he’d be in a great spot.”
"Jeff Saturday is a great coach.. give him a full offseason with his coaching staff and we'll be in a great spot" ~ @dsleon45#PMSinAZ #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/0HsmYDmlt3
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 10, 2023
Leonard also praised Saturday for the mentality he brought to the locker room. The All-Pro linebacker mentioned that Saturday “demanded excellence” and that his way of calling out players for poor play was needed.
Leonard made it known earlier in the offseason that he was a fan of Saturday, especially after the latter forced the linebacker to shut down his attempt to return after suffering a setback with the nerve issue that kept him off the field for the majority of the season.
There isn’t much of a debate about Saturday’s knowledge of the game or even as a leader. He seems to command the room’s attention with ease and truly comes off as someone who cares deeply about the Colts organization and his role within it.
However, those traits don’t ensure success and as we saw during the final seven games of the season, the Colts simply folded when things got tough. Not that they didn’t do so earlier in the season under former head coach Frank Reich, but there were few positives that stemmed from Saturday’s interim tenure.
The biggest indictment came in Week 17 against the New York Giants when none of the offensive linemen defended Nick Foles during Kayvon Thibodeaux’s excessive celebration following a sack. It was at that point we knew the locker room was lost and not even Saturday’s charm could repair it.
We should know the decision as head coach following Super Bowl LVII, and it’s safe to say we know where Leonard stands if Saturday is the choice.
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