One of the most important, and most underrated, players of the past decade-plus for the Colts could be in a slightly different role next season in Indianapolis. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Colts would like to bring Center Jeff Saturday into the Front Office, if he were to retire. The Colts are not alone either:
The Colts have told Saturday, a player who was instrumental in helping to end the lockout, that they are willing to give him a front-office job, according to league sources.
A second NFL team also has floated the idea of Saturday joining its front office.
Saturday was interviewed by WTHR here in Indianapolis Saturday night before the NFL Honors show, and I'm going to do my best to paraphrase as I can't find the video right now. He was asked about retirement, and said it was a decision he'd make with his wife and family, and the outcome of the Peyton Manning saga will have no effect on what he decides. I couldn't tell either way which way he was leaning, but Schefter said in his article the he'd have a good shot at playing at least one more year:
One NFL scout said this week that Saturday's career is not over if he doesn't want it to be, and Saturday could continue playing another season with the type of technique and playing style he uses.
Regardless of when Saturday ends his career, he should have an open job offer to join the Colts front office. The amount of time and effort put into ending the lockout last offseason showed just how good this guy is, and when you add in everything he's done for the Colts over the past 14 seasons, it's really a no-brainer. I'd much rather have him here than anywhere else, and I'd have to think he feels the same way.
My opinion is he isn't quite ready to hang them up just yet, and has one more season in him, trying to get the taste of 2-14 out of his mouth. He'd be a great help to a rookie QB, helping to identify different coverages/schemes that are foreign to a newbie. I guess we'll see if the Colts agree, and Saturday wants that task.
He's never steered away from a challenge in the past. I hope he's up for one more next season. If not, his cushy front office job is there waiting for him, exactly how it should be.