For weeks, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been one of the loudest voices amongst NFL owners in the conversation around whether or not Dan and Tanya Snyder should remain owners of the Washington Commanders. Now, after Irsay had some controversial hiring moves of his own, they have an interesting reaction to the news.
Irsay shocked the NFL world Monday when he fired Frank Reich and replaced him with ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday, who has no coaching experience on the college or NFL levels. He also passed over several qualified Black assistant coaches and seemed indignant when asked to justify the hiring in spite of the Rooney Rule and other considerations.
Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders are mired in ongoing scandals and investigations involving their own workplace issues, with Dan Snyder at the center of most issues. The Snyders recently announced that they exploring their options related to a sale and plenty of big names are lining up to pay as much as $7 billion for the right.
ESPN NFL Nation reporter John Keim asked the Synders what they thought about Irsay’s recent decisions and the pushback he’s received. They responded with a not-so-subtle jab at the Colts owner, who has chastised them publicly in recent weeks.
“We would never judge an owner without having all the facts,” said the Commanders’ owner, in a statement to Keim. “We stand for people of merit and experience and promote policies that provide equal opportunity for all.”
It’s gonna be a fun NFL owners’ meeting next spring.