Colts coaches met Tuesday morning and ultimately decided to change quarterbacks, resources told Fowler and Schefter, choosing Flacco over the long-suffering Richardson.
The benching came two days later, with Richardson requesting to return from Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans for a game because, as he later told reporters, “I was tired.”
Colts educator Shane Steichen said Monday that he was comparing the status of the team’s quarterback, adding that Richardson’s request to return from the game would no longer be a consideration in his decision.
Internally, the Colts maintain that Richardson’s age as their franchise quarterback is not over.
A team source characterized the benching as a “growth opportunity” and also insisted that the Colts “won’t give up on Anthony.”
“That will be the story, but that’s not the case,” the source told ESPN.
Richardson, even in Game 2 with the Colts, remained the youngest inaugural quarterback in the NFL at 22 years old. He was drafted before his 21st birthday and only made 13 starts at the University of Florida.
The Colts insisted that Richardson had to play games in order to grow as a player, which fueled their decision to start him as a rookie. He was named the starter over Gardner Minshew in training camp in 2023, in a single preseason game.
Richardson’s benching, therefore, marks a significant departure from the team’s previous thinking.
“Taking a step back can be a good thing,” the group’s source mentioned.
A source similar to Richardson described him as a beaten inside court player. But that source also indicated that Richardson will maintain the professional demotion and will be available if necessary.
Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards in Sunday’s loss at Houston. He told Steichen he “needed a break there” when he left the game in the third quarter, hitting his helmet.
The denial. No. 4 overall in last year’s draft, Richardson has a 44.4% completion rate this season, which is the fifth-worst in a player’s first six games of a season since 2000, according to ESPN Research.
Steichen did not vouch for Richardson’s decision to leave the game, saying Monday that he had a private conversation with the second-year quarterback and adding that “you can’t take yourself out, and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.” of it.”
Colts heartthrob Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured player on the Tide roster, said Richardson “knows that’s not the standard he needs to play and the rest of the team demands it.”
The Colts (4-4) will now turn to Flacco, 39, who replaced the injured Richardson earlier this season and lost 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception in parts of three games.
Richardson is the second quarterback selected in the first round of last year’s draft to be benched this season. The Carolina Panthers benched Deny. Number one, Bryce Young, passed by veteran Andy Dalton.
