The Indianapolis Colts have decided to go back to Joe Flacco as the team’s starting quarterback, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Wednesday.
“I’m just looking where we’re at as a football team, sitting at .500 with a lot of football left, and feel that Joe gives us the best chance going forward,” said Steichen, who added this is not “a one-week change.”
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the starter heading into this season, will be relegated to backup duty.
“Not giving up on Anthony by any means,” Steichen said. “He’s a really young player with a ton of talent.”
On Monday, following the Colts’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans, Steichen wouldn’t commit to sticking with Richardson at the team’s starter, saying they were “evaluating” their options for the Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Richardson was 10-for-32 in passing for 175 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Houston. He explained that his brief absence in the third quarter was due to him being “tired.”
Ten games into his NFL career, Richardson has shown little sign of development. In fact, he’s regressed. Richardson’s rookie campaign was limited to four games due to multiple injuries. But he flashed his upside while averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per completion. His 59.5% completion percentage left room for improvement.
In six games as a starter this season, Richardson has taken a step back, and the concerns that followed him from Florida have only been exacerbated. The deep balls are there. Richardson leads the league with 16.2 yards per completion and has thrown multiple highlight-reel touchdown passes. But his 44.4% completion percentage isn’t commensurate with that of an NFL backup, much less a starter. Neither is his 4-to-7 touchdown to interception ratio.
After a resurgent season in Cleveland in 2023, Flacco joined the Colts to back up Richardson this season. He’s started three games, leading the team to two wins. He has a 65.7% passing completion percentage and has thrown seven touchdowns and only one interception while averaging 179 passing yards a game.