INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen provided a simple explanation for making the quarterback change Wednesday.
He wants to win now — and so do the Colts.
One day after news broke that Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, would be benched in favor of 39-year-old Joe Flacco, Steichen made his first public comments and acknowledged he made the decision for one reason, committing to Flacco for the foreseeable future.
“It’s my obligation to 53 guys in this organization to win football games,” he said. “Right now, Joe Flacco gives us the best chance.”
The 22-year-old Richardson has struggled with his performance and his health.
His completion rate, 44.4%, is the worst in the NFL this season and he’s thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His nine total turnovers are tied for third most in the NFL despite sitting out two games with an injured right hip.
Missing games is not a new phenomenon for Richardson, either. He’s sat out 15 of 25 career games and finished just five of his 10 career starts because of an assortment of injuries, including season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder last October.
Then came Sunday.
Houston (6-2) picked off one of Richardson’s poor throws deep in Colts territory in the final minute of the first half and quickly converted it into a touchdown. The Texans won 23-20 to take a two-game lead in the AFC South and sweep the season series from Indy (4-4).
Worse yet, Richardson briefly left the game in the second half after tapping his helmet to signal he was “tired.”
Though he returned on Indy’s next series, he drew heavy criticism and met with both Steichen and teammates between Sunday and Monday.
“We had a conversation about it and I think he knows it’s not the standard he needs to play up to and the rest of the team holds him to,” Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly said.
“I’ll kind of leave the conversation we had at that, but I’m sure he’s going to take criticism for that, rightfully so, right? I mean, that’s a tough, tough look, but he’s out there giving it all for his team, right?”
Richardson and Flacco were both scheduled to speak with reporters later Wednesday.
But Steichen made it clear the decision — which he insisted was his own — had nothing to do with the former Florida star’s tap out.
“It didn’t,” Steichen said. “He knows he can’t do that in that situation. You know that’s part of the growth and development process that we go through.”
So Indy is benching one of the youngest, least experienced quarterbacks in favor of one of the league’s oldest.
The 39-year-old Flacco, last year’s AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year and the Super Bowl 47 MVP, already has made two starts and is 2-1 in the three games he’s played with the Colts.
Flacco has completed 71 of 108 throws (65.7%) with 716 yards, seven TDs and one interception and he’s quick decision-making has helped the Colts keep drives moving more consistently. And with Indy in the playoff race, Flacco certainly appears capable of making a postseason run — just as he did with the Cleveland Browns last season.
“I just feel that’s where our team is at, I feel Joe gives us the best chance to win right now,” Steichen said. “I’m responsible for the offense, the defense and the special teams and we’re trying to win games.”
Still, Steichen said he’s not lost confidence in Richardson and believes Richardson can win the job back at some point.
“I think he’s going to handle it the right way, going forward being a professional about it,” he said. “I think right now, sitting back and seeing a veteran that’s done it at a high level for a long time, he can develop that as well.”
