Jeff Saturday left ESPN during the 2022 season to become the interim head coach of the Colts. With his temporary assignment over, he has not yet returned to ESPN.
That could still happen.
Via Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, a potential reunion is “up in the air.” Although both sides are interested in working something out, recent layoffs and ESPN’s hypersensitivity to the budget could keep it from happening.
Saturday seemed to be owner Jim Irsday’s hand-picked choice to both finish 2022 and become the full-time coach in 2023. Ultimately, the Colts went with Shane Steichen.
The threshold question is whether Saturday would have survived the layoffs. Apparently, he would have; otherwise, there would be nothing to discuss.
ESPN has been refocusing its money for on-air employees to bigger personalities with bigger followings. The fact that Saturday is tied closely to Peyton Manning can’t hurt, either, given Peyton’s broadening influence within ESPN and elsewhere.