“Just be white and work for ESPN” – NFL columnist rips teams for considering making Dan Orlovsky next Jeff Saturday
Hiring former NFL players is nothing new, but eyebrows were raised last season when the Indianapolis Colts gave Jeff Saturday the head coach's job as an interim when they fired Frank Reich. The problem was that despite being a franchise legend, Saturday had no experience as a coach in the NFL.
As news broke that former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Dan Orlovsky was negotiating a coaching job with these teams, it seems that some outrage has begun, as if Orlosvky isn't getting the job on his merits.
Deadspin NFL writer Carron J. Phillips has argued that there are only two requisites to get a coaching job in the league now:
"Experience is a thing of the past — just be white and work for ESPN."
Since we’re talking about #NFL coaching hires…
#DanOrlovsky talked to the #Colts & #Panthers about coaching roles.
He’s gonna be the next #JeffSaturday.
Experience is a thing of the past — just be white and work for #ESPN.
My latest: @Deadspin
deadspin.com/dan-orlovsky-i… https://t.co/ipVA2nsU2O
This seems like an unnecessary attack on Orlosvky, who knows a lot about football from his playing days and is one of ESPN's best analysts. Yes, the Saturday hire was awful because he had no prior experience in the job and was only hired due to his relationship with Jim Irsay.
But Orlovsky? He's active in NFL circles now, and the job in question is for an assistant offensive coach hire. He's got to start somewhere and no one is hiring him to be the head coach. It was an entry-level position.
NFL hirings: Who's the new Indianapolis Colts head coach?
Jeff Saturday, who had eight games to prove his worth, did not last on the job. The Colts decided to hire Shane Steichen as their new head coach, ending Saturday's interim tenure with a 1-7 record.
Steichen was a former offensive coordinator from the Philadelphia Eagles, and his hire had to wait a while as the Eagles were playing in the Super Bowl. They lost the big game 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the offense wasn't to blame.
This will be the first time that Steichen has had a head coach job, but he has a ton of experience coaching in the league. he has coached teams such as the Eagles, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cleveland Browns. He's primarily responsible for Justin Herbert's 2020 season and Jalen Hurts' 2022 season, when both quarterbacks were great.