Former Indianapolis Colts star center Jeff Saturday became the latest ex-NFLer to make the jump to the head coaching position. Would his former teammate, Peyton Manning, consider it as well?
Manning retired from the NFL in 2016, a month after he won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos. Renowned for his incredible football IQ, effective in-game audibles and ability to read defenses like no other, many assumed that “The Sheriff” would one day enter the world of coaching.
But Manning has so far stayed away from such a lifestyle. The five-time MVP and two-time Super Bowl Champion is content running the popular “ManningCast” program on ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcasts with younger brother Eli.
During an interview with the New York Post, Manning didn’t exactly rule out the idea of one day becoming a head coach. The 46-year-old actually laid out what it would take for him to sign up:
“All of these opportunities now from ‘Peyton’s Places’ to the ‘Manningcast’ have been appealing because I get to pick my schedule a bit. I think whatever comes next just needs to be (the) right fit at the right time.”
The Colts fired head coach Frank Reich following an ugly 26-3 road loss to the New England Patriots in Week 9. Owner Jim Irsay stunned many by hiring the aforementioned Saturday as an interim head coach. The hiring was surprising for multiple reasons.
For starters, Saturday had zero coaching experience at the NFL and collegiate levels. He served as the head coach of the Hebron Christian Academy high school team in Dacula, Georgia from 2017 to 2019.
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Not only that, but the Colts have a pair of former NFL head coaches on their staff. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley served as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach from 2013 to 2016, and senior defensive assistant John Fox coached the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.
Saturday won his head coaching debut in Week 10, leading the Colts to a 25-20 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. They fell just short of upsetting the NFL’s best team in the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 17-16 on Sunday.
The Colts host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football next week.
