The Indianapolis Colts shocked the world by hiring ex player Jeff Saturday as their head coach after firing Frank Reich. Is Peyton Manning next?
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The firing of Frank Reich might not have caught everyone off guard. Even though there were glaring holes in the make up of the Colts roster, the coaching by Reich has not been up to expectation of owner Jim Irsay.
After getting rid of quarterback Carson Wentz in the offseason and onboarding Matt Ryan, the Colts brass was looking to contend for a championship. Soon after the season started, everyone realized this was certainly not going to be the case.
The offensive line looks abysmal week in and week out and Jonathan Taylor is nowhere near replicating the success from last season. Many elements could go into this such as worse offensive line play, being the only playmaker on offense, and the defense figuring him out.
9 games into the season, the Colts pulled the plug on Frank Reich and immediately replaced him with Jeff Saturday. Saturday, a former offensive lineman for the Colts, was chosen over candidates such as Gus Bradley and Bubba Vetrone.
Bradley, the current defensive coordinator on the Colts, has head coaching experience. Although not too successful, he could serve as an effective placeholder until they find someone better suited. Vetrone is currently the special teams coach on the Colts and is also a disciple of Bill Belichick.
Could Jeff Saturday bring Peyton Manning back to the Colts?
Saturday’s time on the Colts heavily overlapped with Peyton Manning’s time with the same team. They also have a really strong bonding till this day. Because of this, there have been speculations of Manning returning to the team.
Obviously, Manning’s playing days are far over and he probably could not take over at quarterback now. However, Manning was known for his knowledge on the game and could make a return as the offensive coordinator.
However, Manning has expressed his feelings about returning to the game of football so soon. As of right now, Manning is enjoying his time with his family and ManningCast, which he hosts with his brother Eli.
It could change Manning’s mind if he considers his good friend Saturday is now the head coach. But at the end of the day, only time will tell.
