As the Colts narrow down their search for a new head coach, a key member of the defense offered a ringing endorsement on Friday for the club to bring back interim coach Jeff Saturday.
Star linebacker Shaquille Leonard discussed his thoughts on Saturday, a finalist for the full-time job, and why he believes he should stay with the team during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Leonard, who was limited to three games in 2022 due to multiple injuries, first praised Saturday for shutting him down after he tried to play injured, saying it was “by far the best thing he could’ve did for me.”
When McAfee replied that he heard Saturday was a bad coach, Leonard quickly defended him by saying, “Man, Jeff is a great coach, man. They need to cut that out, man, I can’t stand that.” The 27-year-old then told McAfee that he felt Saturday came into the club with the “right mindset,” and “demanded excellence” from everyone in the locker room before sharing what he thinks the Colts front office should do this offseason.
“I hate that he gets a lot of hate because, just coming in Week 8, Week 9, and not knowing a coach on your coaching staff. How do you expect him to come in and go 8–0, 9–0, whatever? Give him a full offseason, give him his coaching staff, or whatever the case may be, and I think that it’d be a great spot,” Leonard said.
Indianapolis made the controversial decision to hire Saturday, a franchise great whose only coaching experience was at the high school level, on Nov. 7 after firing Frank Reich following a 3–5–1 start. On Nov. 12, the team placed Leonard on season-ending injured reserve after he experienced a setback prior to Week 10 with a back injury that previously required surgery.
After defeating the Raiders on the road in Saturday’s debut, the Colts dropped their final seven games to finish the season 4–12–1. The tepid run also saw Indy fall to the Vikings in Week 15 after allowing a 33-point comeback win, the largest such victory in NFL history.
Despite being a bystander for much of the season, Leonard clearly appears to be onboard with Saturday returning regardless of the controversy surrounding his initial hiring. On the other hand, Colts fans are still firmly against the idea, as evidenced by a petition launched last month imploring the team not to make the hire. The petition has over 4,100 signatures (and counting) as of Friday.
In addition to Saturday, the Colts are reportedly eyeing a list of finalists for the position that includes Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Packers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
