Anthony Richardson is out as the Colts starting quarterback.
Indianapolis dropped a bombshell on the NFL world, reportedly benching second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson in the wake of a disastrous offensive performance in Sunday’s road loss to Houston.
He completed just 10 of his 32 pass attempts (31.25%) and posted a season-low 30.3 quarterback ranking.
The Colts drafted Richardson with the understanding that he was an inexperienced quarterback who needed time to develop. As a result, head coach Shane Steichen made the decision to start him from the get go so that he could gain valuable reps and slowly build up his experience.
But the first 10 games of Richardson’s career have proven he was thrown into the fire too early. He’s completed only 50.2 percent of his passes for 1,535 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.
In that time, the offense has been as lifeless as can be. They’re last in the league in completion percentage and completions per game, making Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs non-factors. They’re scoring touchdowns on just 53.9 percent of their red-zone trips. There was no improvement with Richardson, making clear that something had to change.
Joe Flacco, who started two games for the Colts while Richardson was sidelined with an injured hip, will take over. But, this decision still raises more questions than it answers.
From the outside, the Colts appear to be giving up on Richardson before he’s completed a full season in the NFL. However, ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported that Indy is not moving on just yet.
“We are not quitting on Anthony,” a team source told Holder. “That will be the story but is not the case.”
It would be harsh to throw in the towel on Richardson, who hasn’t gotten the best support this season. Poor play calling, receivers dropping perfect throws, and lackluster pass protection have all been obstacles, and were on full display during Sunday’s defeat in Houston.
Still, the move is nothing short of a confidence killer for the 22-year-old, especially when you consider the unwavering support Steichen has shown him publicly. Benching him is a direct contradiction to the way they’ve planned for his growth, with a strong emphasis on the importance of playing time.
For Steichen and the Colts, the message is clear: their priority is to win football games and push for the postseason, not develop Richardson through garnering experience, signaling a stronger focus on right now than the future.
Flacco will bring a much more stable approach to the quarterback position. In the four games in which he’s appeared this season, the 39-year-old has completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 716 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions.
For the short-term, this seems like the move that could get Indy back on track and compete for a playoff spot. But when you look at the long-term, benching Richardson creates much more uncertainty about the future.
Richardson was meant to be the guy to stop the revolving door at the quarterback position which has cursed Indianapolis since the retirement of Andrew Luck. By turning to Flacco, the Colts are only continuing the trend they sought to terminate when they drafted Richardson.
Additionally, it blocks Richardson from facing the first major (non-injury related) challenge in his career. Could leaving him as the starter derail the season? Sure. But learning to deal with adversity doesn’t come without actually facing tumultuous times.
The desire to compete this season seems to outweigh competing in the future for the Colts, and it shows in their choice to sideline Richardson. Only time will tell if he plays again this season, or if he plays for the Colts again.
Either way, Indianapolis isn’t showing much belief in its supposed franchise quarterback.
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