Indianapolis Colts Benching Anthony Richardson In Favor Of Joe Flacco
And so another one bites the dust. Things have not gone well for two of the top three quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Indianapolis Colts have decided they are benching Anthony Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco. Bryce Young was benched after Week 2 this season. However, last week he was back as the starter because Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident. Whether he will continue in the role is not known yet. C.J. Stroud was the other top three quarterback taken and has fared very well since his NFL debut last year.
According to Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
Indianapolis is benching former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco, sources tell @FowlerESPN and me. Coaches met this morning and made the seismic organizational decision to change QBs.
So Joe Flacco will start for the Colts Sunday night game against the Minnesota Vikings. Flacco has always had a cannon for an arm and accuracy to boot. Accuracy is where Richardson has had an issue. He hasn’t completed more than 50 percent of his passes in any game this season in which he’s attempted more than five throws. Richardson has an NFL-worst 44.4 completion percentage in 2024. Last Sunday he completed 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards and a TD. That was one of his better performances; however, he hasn’t passed for more than 212 yards so far. He’s also been credited with six fumbles this season so ball security is also a problem.
Indianapolis Colts Benching Anthony Richardson In Favor Of Joe Flacco
But what probably put the last nail in the coffin was regarding his subbing out on Sunday. When asked why he left the game he admitted that he was tired. Coach Shane Steichen dismissed the situation. “He needed a breather,” Steichen said. “It was third-and-long, so we said we’re going to hand the ball off.” Richardson added: “Tired. I ain’t going to lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do that next play.” Flacco came in for one play on a third-and-23 which led to Matt Gay’s 37-yard field goal.
The benching seems to indicate that the Colts have more confidence in Flacco at this point. Maybe sitting and learning behind Flacco can help Richardson improve his game. On a side note, the Colts have restored QB Jason Bean to the practice squad giving them more QB depth. At any rate, Joe Flacco is in the driver’s seat for now.
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