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Anthony Richardson’s latest dud on Sunday caused the Indianapolis Colts to make a drastic decision with their presumed franchise quarterback. Sources told ESPN that the Colts are benching their former 1st-round pick in favor of grizzled veteran Joe Flacco.
According to ESPN, the Colts coaching staff met on Tuesday morning and made the brutally tough decision to bench the former Florida star and go with Flacco moving forward.
The Colts have invested a lot in Richardson, taking him with the 4th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Richardson was a phenom at UF, throwing for 2,549 yards and running for 654 yards and 9 touchdowns during a dynamic season in Gainesville in 2022.
But an AC joint sprain cut Richardson’s rookie season short last fall, and uneven play (at best) has hampered Richardson this season, leading to Tuesday’s decision. Richardson has just 4 touchdown passes against 7 interceptions in 2024, and his 38.4 QBR ranks 27th in the NFL.
Richardson was supposed to gash defenses with his legs, like he did at Florida a few years ago, but that hasn’t happened either this season. His only rushing touchdown of the season came way back in Week 1.
In Sunday’s loss at Houston, Richardson was all over the place, completing just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Now the 39-year-old Flacco, who had previously replaced Richardson earlier this month, is back in, and who knows where that leaves Richardson moving forward.
A QB change for the Colts: 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. pic.twitter.com/uqANJwOwr4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
