Colts reportedly want Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, not Jeff Saturday, as next head coach
The end of one of the longest head-coaching searches in recent memory appears near. The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly targeting Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as the Colts' next head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Steichen, 37, has risen up through the coaching ranks since 2011, when he was a defensive assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers. He spent two seasons in that role before joining the Cleveland Browns as an offensive quality control coach. He went back to the Chargers the following year, where he kept his offensive role for two more seasons. In 2016, he was named the Chargers' quarterbacks coach.
He held that job for four seasons, also serving as the interim offensive coordinator for the Chargers in 2019. He took over as the permanent offensive coordinator for the Chargers in 2020, and then joined the Eagles in the same role for the 2021 season.
Steichen's tenure with the Chargers overlapped with Philip Rivers' final years with the team. Rivers remained a productive quarterback late in his career under Steichen before leaving after the 2019 season. In his first year as the team's full-time offensive coordinator, Steichen helped Justin Herbert win the Rookie of the Year award.
Steichen experienced similar success with the Eagles. In his first season as the team's offensive coordinator, the Eagles jumped from 26th in points scored to 12th. The improvement continued in 2022, as the team sits third in points scored. Quarterback Jalen Hurts took a major step forward under Steichen, blossoming into the MVP runner-up.
If Steichen leaves to join the Colts, the Eagles would likely promote quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson as a replacement, per Schefter. Johnson was highly instrumental in getting Hurts to play at an MVP level in 2022.
Colts coming off rough season
Last season started with promise for the Colts. They had a new quarterback in Matt Ryan. They were AFC South favorites by the time the season started.
Then nothing went right. Ryan struggled. The team started 1-2-1, momentarily righted things with a two-game winning streak, then came three losses in a row and Frank Reich being fired.
Then came the move that shocked the NFL world. Irsay tabbed Jeff Saturday, who had no experience as a coach beyond high school, as the interim head coach. Saturday was a great player for the Colts but him being named interim coach was met with criticism and derision.
Saturday and the Colts won their first game over Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders, then lost their final seven games. There were some terrible moments in that streak, none worse than blowing a 33-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings and losing 39-36. That's the biggest comeback win in NFL history.
That's how the Colts entered the offseason. Ryan had a miserable season, being benched twice, and his future with the team was up in the air. Indianapolis earned the fourth overall pick of the draft, which gives the Colts a path to fixing the quarterback situation. The team has already indicated it would trade up for an elite player.
The team isn't completely hopeless on the offensive front. When healthy, Jonathan Taylor still proved to be an excellent running back. Wideout Michael Pittman continued to show promise as a No. 1 target. Perhaps with a solution at quarterback — something the Colts have been chasing since Andrew Luck retired — things can turn around quickly.
First, the Colts needed to figure out their coaching situation. After a long process, it appears they've finally made a decision.
Colts have a wide-ranging search
The Colts had one of the longest searches you'll find in the NFL.
The team said it interviewed 13 candidates. It included offensive and defensive coordinators from around the league. Many were brought in for second interviews, which reportedly included Irsay and took up to 12 hours each.
There was no common thread among the candidates. The Colts wanted to cast a wide net and talk to as many coaches as possible for their vacancy.
"Consistent, thorough — I don't care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach. It's about getting it right," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said, according to the team's site.
After such a horrendous season in 2022, the Colts saw the value in being patient with their search and talking — at excruciating length — with many of the top candidates on the market.
It will be up to Steichen to prove the Colts' thoroughness was worth it.
