Colts fire Reich, name former center Jeff Saturday as interim coach

The Indianapolis Colts fired head coach Frank Reich and named former center Jeff Saturday as interim coach Monday following a 3-5-1 start to the season.

Reich compiled a 40-33-1 record over four-plus seasons with Indianapolis.

The Colts suffered a blowout loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, their third straight defeat.

Indianapolis was widely projected to make the playoffs following the offseason addition of quarterback Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons but has deployed one of the NFL's worst offenses.

The AFC South club benched Ryan in favor of sophomore Sam Ehlinger prior to Week 8 and fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady before Week 9.

However, the Colts' offense slumped to a new low against the Patriots, producing just 121 total yards and giving up nine sacks.

Saturday acted as a consultant for the Colts over the last few years while also serving as an analyst for ESPN. He played 13 seasons for the Colts from 1999-2011, making five Pro Bowls and winning one Super Bowl.

The Colts opted for Saturday over two former NFL head coaches on staff, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and senior defensive assistant John Fox. The ex-offensive lineman doesn't have any NFL or college coaching experience. He was the bench boss of a high school team in Dacula, Georgia.

Indianapolis made the playoffs in two of Reich's first four seasons despite the turmoil created by franchise quarterback Andrew Luck's sudden retirement, which precipitated the head coach's only losing season with the club in 2019.

But a failed trade for quarterback Carson Wentz - whom Reich coached in Philadelphia and pushed for the Colts to acquire - during the 2021 offseason and a late-season collapse to miss the playoffs put Reich under pressure to deliver a contender in 2022.

Reich, who signed an extension through the 2026 campaign alongside general manager Chris Ballard in August 2021, is the second head coach fired this season following Matt Rhule's dismissal from the Carolina Panthers in October.

The Colts hired Reich, a former quarterback, in 2018 after Josh McDaniels reneged on an agreement to join. He was previously the offensive coordinator of the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl the year before he came to Indianapolis.