The Colts’ pivot to Joe Flacco didn’t produce the type of results the team hoped for, and the veteran is heading back to the bench. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson developmental effort is shifting back to on-field duty.
Although the Colts had demoted Richardson resulting from on-field and preparation concerns, they’re reversing course. Richardson will start in Week 11, per Shane Steichen. Doubling down here, Steichen classified this transformation as a long-term switch by indicating Richardson will carry the keys for the remainder of the season.
Steichen said Sunday he was not planning to show back to Richardson, whose accuracy concerns had restrained the Colts’ offense. Like Dave Canales did during his initial Bryce Young-for-Andy Dalton change, Steichen reversed course days later. It’s going to be Richardson, who’s tied to a 44% completion rate, against the Jets in Week 11.
Richardson had arrived in Indiana as a hopeful savior for a Colts team that had kept shifting to different veterans following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. As an alternative, the unseasoned Florida product showed concerning flaws after entering the NFL with one season — a highly inaccurate one, at that — of school starting experience. The Colts had been insistent they might keep Richardson within the lineup, but his decision to depart the sector for a play against the Texans catalyzed a benching themed around Flacco giving the 2024 roster a greater likelihood to win. The yo-yoing with Richardson will proceed now that Flacco has not recaptured his form from his 2023 Comeback Player of the Yr season.
Trade interest got here in for Richardson, because it did Young, before last week’s deadline. As expected, the Colts passed. But Steichen’s previous comments painted a cloudy picture for the previous No. 4 overall pick. Now, the Colts — at 4-6 — will move their season back toward a Richardson developmental project. Although fantasy GMs rostering Colts wide receivers might not be a fan of this development, Richardson actually needs more playing time after entering the NFL as a one-year Gators starter and missing most of his rookie season resulting from a shoulder injury.
Richardson’s 44.4% completion number ranks because the fifth-worst mark through six games this century, and although the QB’s 7.2 yards per attempt is just not at a basement level, the twin threat’s occasional deep-ball success was not enough to maintain him within the lineup in Week 9. But Flacco threw three INTs against the Bills and didn’t lead the Colts into the Vikings’ red zone every week prior. The Seventeenth-year veteran will shift back to a relief role.
If the Colts persist with their QB plan this time around, they need to find a way to make a greater determination of Richardson’s 2025 status. The team had viewed Richardson’s preparation issues as a much bigger concern than his on-field struggles, further calling into query the team’s plan to present him the QB1 gig back so soon. It is feasible the team might want to shop for an additional starter next 12 months, because the Panthers might. Considering where the Colts’ busy offseasons at QB since Luck abruptly left in August 2019, that might not be a welcome development. As such, Richardson making progress shall be vital to the Colts’ blueprint.
Richardson, who did complete 59.5% of his passes in limited duty last season, might need to point out notable improvement from his first-half form to maintain GM Chris Ballard in place resulting from the investment made within the raw passer. This switch back to Richardson might put the Colts’ 2024 contention prospects secondary to long-term development — in an AFC already featuring a somewhat thin wild-card race — but Flacco’s struggles weren’t justifying Steichen’s previous QB call. Richardson’s form will now be the central Colts storyline for the season’s final seven games.
