INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was hurt when he was told he was being benched.
His replacement, 39-year-old Joe Flacco, tried to keep everything in perspective.
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One day after news broke that Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, had been demoted, coach Shane Steichen told reporters Flacco would remain the starter the rest of this season for one simple reason.
“It's my obligation to 53 guys and to this organization to win football games,” Steichen said Wednesday in his first comments since making the change. “Tough decision, but one I felt was in the best interest of our football team. I feel Joe gives us the best chance to win right now. With that being said, not giving up on Anthony (Richardson) by any means."
Indy (4-4) drafted Richardson to stop a seemingly endless spinning quarterback carousel, projecting him to be the franchise's long-term solution.
Since then, though, the 22-year-old has struggled both with his performance and his health.
His completion rate, 44.4%, is the worst in the NFL this season and he's thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His nine total turnovers are tied for third most in the NFL despite missing two games with an injured right hip.
Seeing Richardson on the sideline is hardly a new phenomenon. He's missed 15 of the 25 games in his career and has finished just five of his 10 career starts — all because of an assortment of injuries. including season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder last October.
Then came Sunday's game.
Houston (6-2) made Richardson pay for a poor decision by picking off an errant pass into double coverage in the final minute of the first half. The Texans quickly converted the turnover into a touchdown and eventually won 23-20 to take a two-game lead in the AFC South while sweeping the season series from Indy.
Worse yet, Richardson briefly left the game in the second half after tapping his helmet to signal he needed a breather. Though he returned on Indy's next series, his decision to leave — on what Steichen said was going to be a handoff — was so heavily scrutinized, Richardson acknowledged he made a mistake though he didn't say when he realized it was a mistake.
“Regarding that play, I know I can’t do that as a leader, especially as a quarterback of this team," Richardson said. "As a football player in general, I can’t necessarily just take myself out of the game like that, especially in key moments like that. But you live and you learn. You’ve just got to grow from it.”
The result: Indy is benching one of the youngest, least-experienced quarterbacks in the league and going with one of the league's oldest.
Flacco, last year's AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year and the Super Bowl 47 MVP, already has made two starts and is 2-1 in the three appearances with the Colts.
He's completed 71 of 108 passes (65.7%) with 716 yards, seven TDs and one interception and his quick decision-making has helped Indy's offense stay on the field more consistently.
And with the Colts still in the playoff mix, Flacco certainly appears capable of leading another team on a postseason run — just as he did with the Cleveland Browns last season. But his biggest contribution to helping Richardson's growth may be providing insights only a few other NFL quarterbacks can.
“The thing we have to remember here is Anthony is really young. I know that when I was that young, there’s no chance I would have been able to have the perspective and just the right head on my shoulders to handle it and take it the right way,” Flacco said. “Being this is my 17th year, I do have that perspective. So this doesn’t have to be a negative thing. There are a lot of positives on his end that can come from this.”
Still, it's a dramatic shift for Steichen, who just last week told reporters he needed to help Richardson with better play-calling. Back then, the Colts seemed intent to let Richardson learn from his miscues regardless of the results.
What changed? Steichen said the switch had nothing to do with Richardson taking himself out of Sunday's game because he was “tired” and more to do with what was best for the Colts.
Still, it caught the calm, unflappable Richardson off guard.
“Of course, it hurts,” he said. "As a competitor, you definitely don’t want to be told that you’re not the guy anymore for the upcoming week, but it’s all good. I’m using this moment as an opportunity to grow and just learn from my mistakes.”
So for now, it's Flacco's job to lose.
“I’m fired up man,” Flacco said. "Anytime you get a chance to play football in this league, you have to count yourself as blessed. I really feel very fortunate to be with this team and be in this situation and I’m excited to get it done.”
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