ANDERSON, Ind. -- Colts coach Jim Caldwell isn't ready to say how much time Jeff Saturday might miss. Jim Irsay is. The Colts owner told reporters Wednesday that Indy's Pro Bowl center could miss two to six weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery to remove what the team described as a "loose body." "We've seen guys come back in two weeks, you see some guys come back in six weeks," Irsay said. "You're hoping it's the shorter side of the scale." Caldwell would not say how or when Saturday hurt his knee, but that he believed it occurred over time. The Colts have not said which knee Saturday hurt, and several messages have been left by The Associated Press with Saturday's agent. Still, Caldwell is leery of establishing a return date. When Saturday tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a 2008 preseason game, the veteran opted against having surgery and returned to the starting lineup Sept. 21. Total absence: 28 days. "I couldn't give you a timetable, I haven't heard any specifics from a doctor," Caldwell said after Wednesday morning's practice. "But he's always been a quick healer." The Colts are hoping that will be the case again for the 35-year-old Saturday, who has been the mainstay of the Colts' offensive line for a decade, logging nearly as many Pro Bowl appearances (four) as missed games (six) since winning the starting job in 2000. He's become one of Peyton Manning's best friends, the second-longest tenured Colts player behind Manning and most people can't even remember the last botched snap he's had. So when third-year center Jamey Richard lined up with the Colts' starters Wednesday morning, it looked strange. Richard has made seven career NFL starts, four at center -- all in place of Saturday in 2008. Though he hasn't started a game since November 2008, Richard insists he's ready. "I have the responsibility of making those [blocking] calls," he said. "That's put on the center, and that's me. It's just something you've got to learn." "It's tough, [Saturday] is the foundation of our offensive line," Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark said. "What he brings is consistency, his level of play, all those intangibles are just invaluable. It's definitely the next-guy-up theory, but it's going to be tough without him."
