Anthony Richardson has his starting job back.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that, after two weeks on the bench, Richardson would return as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, starting in week 11 against the Jets.
“[Anthony Richardson] is the future of our organization,” Steichen said Wednesday. “We want to get him out there playing again.”
The decision comes after Joe Flacco’s two disastrous games as the QB1. Across those two weeks, Flacco was responsible for six total turnovers and led the Indy offense to just two offensive touchdowns.
It was clear that Flacco was holding the team back, despite Steichen’s claims he gave the Colts the best chance to win games. Still, Steichen declined to admit that the result of the switch was Flacco’s poor play.
Instead, it had more to do with Richardson’s improvements.
“I’ve said the process, the process for a long time, and what I mean by that is the attention to detail in everything he does,” Steichen said. “From the classroom, to the walkthroughs, to practice, to the weight room…all those have to be at a higher standard.”
Steichen shared that he’s seen Richardson make tremendous strides in these areas, earning back the opportunity to be the team’s starter once again.
“I’m thankful for these past two weeks,” Richardson said from the locker room following the official announcement. “I'm low-key glad they happened.”
For the former fourth overall pick, the past two weeks have been a learning experience.
“[Being benched] showed that I’m willing to be a pro and I’m willing to sacrifice anything I need to do for the team,” he said Wednesday.
“I feel like these past two weeks has definitely opened my eyes and allowed me the opportunity to do that and just take a deeper dive to take a look into myself and see what I’m made of.”
Richardson, who led the Colts to a 3-3 record in the six starts he made prior to his benching, will have a chance to turn the Colts season around. Currently at 4-6, Indy is one place out of a playoff spot in the AFC.
And the odds are in his favor.
With the exception of the 8-1 Lions, the rest of Indy’s remaining opponents have a record of .500 or worse. Better yet, only one of those teams is an NFC opponent, meaning Richardson could help gain crucial head-to-head tiebreakers over conference foes.
Many were calling for Steichen’s head two weeks ago. In due time, those same people may end up singing his praises for geniusly navigating “the process.”
HN’s NFL Power Rankings: Week 12
