The Anthony Richardson experiment in Indianapolis is not going well.
The Colts announced on Tuesday that Richarson would be benched in favor of veteran Joe Flacco so that the former Florida Gator could “take a break” from the pressures of being an NFL starting QB.
“We are not quitting on Anthony. That will be the story, but that is not the case,” a Colts team source told ESPN’s Stephen Holder.
“They want Richardson to take a step back, take a break from the pressures of the job, and try to grow during this time,” Holder wrote on X. Holder added that Richardson was “devastated” by the news but is expected to handle the situation “like a pro.”
In Richardson’s ten career starts, including four games in 2023 before he suffered a season-ending injury, he is 3-3. However, more concerning are his turnovers and overall lack of production. In 2024, Richardson has thrown for just 958 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’s also completing a paltry 44.4% of his passes.
While concern over his stats has continued for a while, those concerns were compounded last weekend when Richardson took himself out of the game because he was tired.
The Colts expected some growing pains with Richardson. However, they thought throwing him into action immediately would help him adjust to life as an NFL quarterback more quickly. The team no longer holds that opinion.
In his four games this year, Flacco has been considerably better.
The former Super Bowl champ has a 65.7 percent completion rate with 716 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception.