The Indianapolis Colts are making a monumental change at quarterback.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts have decided to bench second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and turn to 39-year-old Joe Flacco for the remainder of the season.
Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen foreshadowed the move on Monday, refusing to commit to Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback in Minnesota and saying only that the team was “evaluating everything.”
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
Richardson’s benching comes on the heels of another poor performance – one in which he asked out of the game due to being tired.
Richardson has completed just 44.4% of his passes for 958 yards with 4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. His 16.2 yards per catch leads the NFL but his quarterback rating is just 57.2.
He missed the third game of his rookie season with a concussion then went on injured reserve and missed 12 games due to shoulder surgery. Richardson missed two games this season with an oblique injury.
The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and after just 10 starts, they are pulling the plug.
