The Indianapolis Colts made a huge decision this week as a franchise. Former top-five pick Anthony Richardson is being benched for veteran Joe Flacco. Richardson came into the season with high expectations. He was injured for most of last year, and fans were eager to see what the former Florida quarterback could do. It has not gone well. The young quarterback has a historically bad completion percentage and has issues running the offense. Indianapolis decided to make a change. This week, GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen met with Richardson to discuss the benching.
Indianapolis Colts Anthony Richardson Benched
There is an element of damage control the Indianapolis Colts have to do with Anthony Richardson. While the young quarterback has not done himself any favors, he was taken fourth overall and touted as the future of the franchise. Head coach Shane Steichen spoke briefly about the meeting.
“We had a really good conversation. Me and Chris sat down with him for a while, about a half hour, and I’ll keep that private.”
Steichen was tight-lipped about the short conversation. Things were likely a little awkward around the locker room this week, and sometimes, sitting down and having a conversation goes a long way. The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear this is not a short-term change. They are 4-4 and trying to make a playoff push, believing Joe Flacco gives them the best chance to win. Steichen hinted at Richardson needing to do some growing up.
“I think he just needs to keep developing and growing as a professional. And obviously, just every little thing – all the little things, details, all those little things, we go through that. I mean, he’s a young player. I think he’s the second-youngest player in the league at the position. Just keep developing.”
Richardson’s Season So Far
Anthony Richardson has not played in every game this season. He missed two games with an oblique injury which led to the team getting a good look at Flacco. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback took the Cleveland Browns on an improbable playoff run last season, and the team hopes to recreate that magic. It was Richardson’s job to lose, and he did not do enough to keep it. He is completing 44.4% of his passes for 958 yards. He only has four touchdown passes versus seven interceptions this season as well. Some of those picks have been horrendous decisions.
Many analysts have theorized the last straw for the team was when Anthony Richardson took himself out of last week’s game due to being “tired.” His comments after the game went viral as fans and former players blasted the decision to remove himself from the game. In the NFL, this can be a way to lose the locker room quickly. While the team is not confirming, many have wondered whether the team could look past the poor stats, not the poor attitude.
Long Term Outlook
Joe Flacco isn’t the future of this team. The Indianapolis Colts are taking a risk here. The best-case scenario is Flacco leads this team to the playoffs while Anthony Richardson gets reps at practice and works on his mechanics. However, there are many ways this can go wrong. This could shatter Richardson’s confidence, and the Colts could have no plan to develop him. There are very few cases in NFL history where a young player gets benched and then comes back better.
The Indianapolis Colts invested a top-five pick in Richardson. The knock on him was how raw he was as a prospect. He had very few starts in college, but the physical tools were off the charts. He has had some amazing plays in his first two seasons to show off his physical skills. When a player does not have experience, usually the best way to get them to improve is in-game reps. The Colts are taking those away in favor of winning now. Only time will tell whether this works out or brings short-term gains while sacrificing long-term results.
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