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Shaq Leonard: Give Jeff Saturday a coaching staff, full offseason and it’d be a great spot

The Colts have started to narrow their head coaching search, reportedly informing three candidates on Friday that they won’t get the job.

And now one of the team’s most important defensive players has given a full-throated endorsement to the man who served as interim coach in 2022.

During an appearance on the Friday episode of the Pat McAfee Show, linebacker Shaquille Leonard called Saturday a “great coach,” adding it makes him “so mad” when he hears people say Saturday was bad.

“You need to cut that out. I can’t stand that,” Leonard said. “Man, listen, Jeff came in with the right mindset — that he wasn’t going to sit back and allow just bad play. He demanded excellence from everybody. That offensive line — I mean, of course, everybody’s going to criticize that offensive line, you see they got better, didn’t they? He came in and made sure that everybody knew exactly what was at stake and what he wanted from each and every player.

“We’d go play the game and we’d blow a lead or something, that next meeting was what would’ve been needed. I’m going to call you out. I’m going to put you on the big screen and let you know that this is unacceptable.”

Leonard also mentioned that Saturday was instrumental in shutting the linebacker down for the season, as Leonard was dealing with a nerve issue.

“I felt like I was out there on a dead leg. I had no feeling in my left side and I was just trying to fight through,” Leonard said. “I just wish I had someone to tell me, this is not good for you. Let’s take a seat and let’s get healed before you get back on the field. That’s why I was happy Jeff Saturday came along. Jeff Saturday was like, ‘This is not you. And we’ve got to figure this thing out.’ And he was like, ‘I’m shutting you down.’

“That was by far the best thing he could’ve done for me.”

The three-time, first-team All-Pro added that he feels Saturday is unfairly evaluated given the circumstances of his hiring as interim coach.

“I hate that he gets a lot of hate because coming in Week Eight, Week Nine, and not knowing a coach on your coaching staff … how do you expect him to come in and go 8-0, 9-0, whatever?” Leonard said. “Give him a full offseason. Give him his coaching staff or whatever the case may be and I think that it’d be a great spot.”

The Colts were 1-7 with Saturday as the team’s interim coach, surrendering 33 points to the Cowboys in the fourth quarter of their Week 13 loss to the Cowboys. After their bye, they gave up the biggest comeback in NFL history in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Vikings.

They also lost late in the fourth quarter to the Texans in Week 18.

Still, if Colts owner Jim Irsay ends up hiring Saturday for the full-time role, the former Colts center will have at least one strong supporter on Indianapolis’ defense.