Jeff Saturday's run as the Indianapolis Colts interim head coach ended in drastic fashion. But Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard is still a big fan of Saturday and believes he deserves a second chance to lead Indianapolis.
Leonard defended Saturday and called him a great head coach on the Pat McAfee Show. He gave Saturday credit for the situation in which he came and the effort he put in once he got there.
“Jeff Saturday is a great coach,” Leonard said. “Give him a full offseason with his coaching staff and we'll be in a great spot.”
Leonard said that Saturday came in with a strong mindset and refused to watch bad play. He added that Saturday, “demanded,” excellence from everyone in the organization. Saturday made it very clear to Leonard and the rest of the Colts what he wanted out of each player and what was at stake.
Despite Jeff Saturday's intentions, the Colts still struggled during his tenure. While Indianapolis won their first game under Saturday, they would lose their final seven games of the year and drop to 4-12-1 for the season.
Still, as the Colts look for their next head coach, Shaquille Leonard thinks Saturday should still be considered. Leonard, despite appearing in just three games in 2022 due to injury, is still a leader for the Colts. He's a captain and one of their best defensive players. His opinion holds weight in Indianapolis.
The Colts are still going through their interviews and trying to decide the perfect candidate for head coach. Leonard believes that candidate should be Saturday.