Joe Flacco’s run as the Indianapolis Colts’ unquestioned starting quarterback will last only two games.
On Wednesday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced that Anthony Richardson will start for the club in Week 11 and is expected to be Indy’s starting QB moving forward. The Colts originally benched Richardson going into Week 9, but they’ve decided to see what the 2023 first-round draft pick can do over the remainder of the season.
Anthony Richardson To Start for Colts in Week 11
Richardson’s benching will end up as more of a temporary break than a franchise-altering decision.
Flacco struggled in his two starts (both Colts losses), but Week 10 was truly a disaster. The 39-year-old quarterback threw three interceptions and took four sacks against the Buffalo Bills in a 30-20 loss.
Anthony Richardson started just 10 NFL games before being benched, but now returns and will be the starter for the rest of the season.
The Colts are adamant they have not given up on him, and coach Shane Steichen noted today he's seen Richardson make strides over the last two… pic.twitter.com/XHwYZ3thJD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2024
However, Steichen didn’t mention Flacco’s performance when reinstalling Richardson as Indy’s starting quarterback. Instead, Richardson appears to have rededicated himself over the past two weeks.
“What I mean is the attention to detail just needs to be higher,” Steichen said, “And over the last 2 weeks, (Richardson has) made strides in those areas.”
Why Did the Colts Bench Richardson in the First Place?
Richardson completed just 44% of his passes and ranked 27th among 32 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA (expected points added) per dropback before being benched.
In Weeks 7 and 8, Richardson completed just 20 of 56 attempts (36%). Since 2000, only four other quarterbacks have completed 36% or fewer of their passes across a two-game stretch. Richardson was the first to do it since 2009.
Richardson has an F grade in PFN’s QB+ system. Only Deshaun Watson and Bryce Young have been worse this season. Richardson is on pace to post the seventh-lowest score in PFN’s quarterback database, which dates back to 2019.
Week 8 represented Richardson’s nadir. He earned a D- grade for his performance against the Houston Texans, the lowest score among all qualified quarterbacks in Week 8 and the worst mark of his career.
Richardson’s poor statistical results were one thing. But the second-year quarterback also removed himself for a play after back-to-back scrambles in Week 8, a no-no for NFL signal-callers.
“I was tired,” Richardson said after Week 8. “I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go that next play.”
Steichen did not defend Richardson’s actions the following Monday. Multiple Colts veterans — including center Ryan Kelly, the organization’s longest-tenured player — said Richardson’s decision was unacceptable.
Is Richardson the Colts’ Long-Term Answer at QB?
More than anything, the Colts simply need to get an uninterrupted look at Richardson playing NFL football.
To this point, injuries have defined Richardson’s NFL career. In 2023, he missed most of Week 2 and all of Week 3 because of a concussion. In Week 5, Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Gardner Minshew II took over as the Colts’ starting quarterback and nearly guided the club to the postseason.
This season, Richardson went down with an oblique injury in Week 4 and sat out the subsequent two games. He’s only attempted 217 passes through his first season and change in the pros.
On Wednesday, Steichen indicated that Richardson would be Indianapolis’ starting quarterback for the rest of the 2024 season.
#Colts HC Shane Steichen on QB Anthony Richardson:
“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. From the classroom to the walkthroughs to practice …”
“He’s gonna start the rest of the season.” pic.twitter.com/GOay4fOWZG
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) November 13, 2024
Richardson’s opponent runout is daunting. While he avoided the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills’ challenging defenses over the past two weeks, he’ll have to face the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Denver Broncos, each presenting a stiff test over the next four weeks.
According to PFN’s Playoff Predictor, the Colts still have roughly a one-in-four chance of making the AFC postseason — but that’s not really the point.
Steichen and Co. need to use the rest of the campaign to evaluate Richardson and determine if last year’s No. 4 overall pick can be the club’s franchise quarterback. Indy reportedly brushed off trade interest in Richardson after benching him, so the team is still invested in the Florida product.
How Richardson performs over the back half of the 2024 season will affect the Colts’ quarterback plans moving forward. If he plays as poorly to close the year as he did earlier this season, Indianapolis may need to look for other options in 2025.