Jeff Saturday is 'beloved in Indianapolis': Pat McAfee reacts to Colts coaching news
Pat McAfee was talking with NFL insider Ian Rapoport when the news broke that McAfee's former teammate Jeff Saturday was the interim coach for the Indianapolis Colts.
"Whoa," McAfee said.
Rapoport asked the former Colts punter if he'd missed any calls from Colts owner Jim Irsay recently.
"No, I've not been asked to join the coaching staff," he said. "If Jeff would like to extend the invite, he knows the check is going to have to be very big. He will not have access to that in the middle of the season."
McAfee said Saturday is "beloved in Indianapolis."
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"He was the man that was a captain not only in the locker room, but for the entire league (in the NFL Players Association). He's the reason why the original CBA got done like 13 years ago, when allegedly he walked up to the table and said, ‘Let’s put our swords down. Let's get a deal done here for the good of the NFL and for the good of our fans.’ Jeff Saturday has been on television. Obviously he's incredibly handsome. He's charming. He's lost 150 pounds, looks like an incredibly different person. He's got blue eyes that are gorgeous. He is beloved in Indianapolis."
Here's how McAfee imagined Irsay's decision-making process.
"Jim Irsay probably reached out to Peyton. ‘Hey, you want to coach, brother?’ ‘I can't do that.' He reached out to maybe Tarik Glen who was just in town for the Ring of Honor. Tarik’s like, ‘I’m not going to coach.’ ‘Hey, (Dwight) Freeney you want to coach?’ He’s like, ‘Eh, I’ve still got 15-20 golf rounds I’ve got to do.' Robert Mathis? 'I don't know if it's time for me.' 'Hey, Jeff, you want to coach? I've been sending out an email to everybody that is in our Ring of Honor. Just wondering if anybody wants to come join us in here.' Jeff Saturday's like. “High school season just ended. I got nothing else to do. I'll come in there.'”
McAfee said he's "pumped" for Saturday.
"I'm pumped for Jeff. Let's go. I didn't know what they were gonna do. Obviously Gus Bradley has been a head coach multiple times in the past. He's on the staff, first year as defense coordinator. Maybe he's gonna be head coach. Bubba Ventrone, special teams coordinator has had a lot of success. People have looked at him to be a head coach, thought maybe he was going to be head coach. Jim Irsay goes, ‘We're thinking outside the box, thinking outside of the building, thinking outside of the team. Let's bring something back from the past that’s a staple of greatness. Let's bring back Jeff Saturday. I appreciate that. Hey, good luck out there, Jeff. Maybe he’ll suit up, too.'"
Here's more from McAfee (the language is a bit salty so be prepared before you hit play):