Joe Thomas just took the entire Indianapolis Colts organization to task over their recent decision to hire Jeff Saturday as their new head coach.
The former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman went on a heated rant during Friday’s episode of Good Morning Football on NFL Network. He referred to the hire as “disrespectful” and said team owner Jim Irsay hired his “drinking buddy” for a job he’s not prepared to handle.
“When you hire your drinking buddy to be the head coach of an NFL football team, it is one of the most disrespectful things I’ve ever seen in my entire life. To the commitment, the lifestyle and the experience that it takes to be an NFL coach. Any coach, much less the head coach of the Indianapolis Football Colts. You have got to be kidding me that this is something that Jim Irsay and Jeff Saturday who’s not blameless for accepting the job.”
Thomas then went on to tell a story of how former head coach Rob Chudzinski never had a life or could see his kids because being a head coach leaves you with no life.
“He saw his children one time every week. That was Friday afternoon. We would get off about 2:00 o’clock. He would stay till three. He would pick his kids up from school. He had four kids. He would go get ice cream with him. They would come home. Then he would drop him off and go back to the office. If it was a home game, he would get to see his kids two times during the week. Ice cream on Friday and then Saturday afternoon. He still didn’t see him because he stayed Sunday. They would come to the game.”
“That’s a lifestyle. That’s who you are. That’s not something that you can just show up for it’s not something you sign up for.”
Thomas continued to lay into Irsay for further dissing other coaches by stating that Saturday isn’t scared.
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“And then to defend the decision by saying I’m happy that he doesn’t have any experience, he’s not because he’s not scared. Like if you didn’t already insult every person that’s worked their entire life to be a head coach in the NFL, then to come up there and say I like, he’s got no experience because all y’all NFL coaches are scared because you use logic and analytics to make decisions.”
Saturday has no coaching experience at the college or pro level but he still defended his qualifications against doubters like Thomas.
“I’m completely comfortable in who I am as a man. I know I can lead men. I know I know the game of football and I’m passionate about it. I have no fear about, are you as qualified as somebody else.
“I spent 14 years in a locker room. I went to playoffs 12 times. I got five dudes in the Hall of Fame that I played with. You don’t think I’ve seen greatness you don’t think I’ve seen how people prepare, how they coach, how they GM, how they work? I mean, won Super Bowls, been to two.
“Here’s the deal, man. None of us are promised a good job. I may be terrible at this. And after eight games, I’ll say, God, bless you. I am no good. I may be really good. I got no idea, but I dang sure ain’t gonna back down. I can tell you that.”
Despite what anyone thinks, Saturday will lead the Colts into his first game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
During his time in Cleveland, Thomas was named to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (2007-2016), six first-team All-Pros and two second-team All-Pros, while playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps.
After retiring following the 2017 season, Thomas was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2023 class and is widely expected to be a first-ballot inductee.
