Colts’ Anthony Richardson Reacts to Benching

Former Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson stepped up to the barrage of microphones on Wednesday for his weekly presser. But the big smile we have become accustomed to seeing on Richardson’s face was nowhere to be found.

Richardson was benched by head coach Shane Steichen in favor of veteran Joe Flacco on Tuesday, sending the young quarterback to learn from the sidelines. Steichen noted that Flacco would be the starter “going forward,” signaling Richardson’s time on the field in 2024 could be over.

It is a move that shook the entire football world as the Colts have officially demoted the guy they selected with the No.4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after only 10 career starts.

“Of course, everybody knows the news. I’m not starting this upcoming week,” Richardson began on Wednesday. “Of course it hurts. 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.”

The move comes after Steichen said the Colts were “evaluating everything” moving forward, including who was the best quarterback for the team right now. After Steichen and the rest of the Colts’ coaches made the decision, the head coach called Richardson to his office to relay the news. It seems the conversation was not a long one.

“(Steichen) just told me they were going to go with Joe, and that was that,” Richardson revealed. “I had to just take the information and just grow.”

The change comes after Richardson completed just 10-of-32 (31%) passes for 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a loss to the Houston Texans. The film revealed that Richardson’s performance was not as bad as the stat line would indicate. The young quarterback also did not receive much help from his offensive line and receivers.

Richardson has also been in the news over the past couple of days for subbing himself out of the game before a third-and-goal play during the third quarter. Richardson claimed he was tired and did not feel he could go another play. The action spurred tremendous backlash from many different avenues.

Conversations with Steichen and Ryan Kelly about taking himself out of the play ensued following the game. Richardson now regrets what he did and has vowed to learn from the mistake.

“I know I can’t do that as a leader,” Richardson admitted about tapping out. “Especially as the quarterback of this team. Especially just as a football player in general. I can’t necessarily just bring myself out of the game like that, especially in key moments like that. But you live and you learn, you just got to grow from it.”

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Steichen has been adamant that the evaluation of the quarterback position and Richardson’s demotion were not impacted by tapping out of the game. Whether that fact is true or not is not evident. What is evident is the Colts are completely reversing course on the plan they had for Richardson since the moment they drafted the kid out of Florida.

Owner Jim Irsay, general manager Chris Ballard, and Steichen all agreed from the beginning that the best way for Richardson to improve would be through playing and getting as many live reps as possible. They admitted there would be ups and downs along the way, which was expected from a quarterback who came into the NFL with only 13 collegiate starts. But patience was preached by the head decision-makers to the fanbase and media alike.

It turns out, the Colts were the ones to lose patience, relegating Richardson to the bench to learn and turning to Flacco because he gives the team “the best chance to win now.” How much winning Flacco does as the starter remains to be seen.

In the meantime, Richardson is trying to make the best of the situation. The young quarterback will attempt to grow as much as possible in the practice reps he receives and in the quarterback room throughout the week. After all, he is only one play away from being back on the field and leading the Colts’ offense.

“I’m going to still prepare as if I am the starter,” Richardson explained. “I feel like there is an opportunity to step back on the field, and when it does present itself, I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Inside the Colts’ locker room, it seemed many of Richardson’s teammates did not know what to think of the situation. Some players, including captain Michael Pittman Jr., admitted they found out about the quarterback switch on social media. It was never announced to the team, adding another strange and dysfunctional layer to this entire saga.

But if you thought Richardson had lost the locker room and that is why the switch happened, think again. Many Colts voiced their support for Richardson on Wednesday, including Zaire Franklin and Josh Downs, saying they do not expect Richardson’s days quarterbacking the team to be over.

“I know the guys love me and I know they support me,” Richardson said. “It’s just a learning curve right now. I got to just get better from it.”

Time will tell if sending Richardson to the bench will help or hinder his development. Historically, young quarterbacks who are benched hardly ever return to see success with their current team. But when asked if his confidence had taken a hit, Richardson gave a positive outlook moving forward.

“No, of course not.,” Richardson replied. “I’m blessed and highly favored. I got God on my side, I’ve got the Lord on my side. He’s always with me, so, this is just something for me to jump over and just grow from and just learn from.”

As the young, inexperienced quarterback heads to the bench, the Richardson era in Indianapolis has officially been placed on hold. No one knows if it will ever resume, but if it does not, the floundering Colts are left without a plan for the most important position in football yet again.

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