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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been benched in favor of Joe Flacco ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Minnesota Vikings, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter.
Flacco previously started two games when Richardson was sidelined by an oblique injury in Weeks 5 and 6. He also stepped in for one snap during Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans when Richardson briefly left the game after a hit.
Richardson struggled in the Week 8 loss, as he went 10-of-32 for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He has passed for four touchdowns and thrown seven picks through six games of his second NFL season.
Richardson’s performance raised alarms for several reasons. His 31 percent pass accuracy rate was the worst for any quarterback throwing 30-plus passes since 2011, and he also left a game for the fifth time in 10 career NFL contests.
Those prior exits have been due to injury, including the oblique issue that sidelined him earlier this season, as well as a concussion and shoulder injury during his rookie campaign.
This time, the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft told reporters after the game that he tapped his helmet in a request to be removed from the field during the third quarter because he was “tired.”
“That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do that next play, so I just told [head coach Shane Steichen] I needed a break right there,” Richardson said after the loss.
When asked after the loss if Richardson would be the team’s starter going forward, Steichen told reporters that the Colts were “evaluating everything.”
Both he and Colts center Ryan Kelly told reporters that they had spoken with Richardson about the call to take himself out of the game.
“Obviously in those situations he knows on those types of deals, you can’t take yourself out,” Steichen said.
Richardson’s benching marks the second time a top pick from the 2023 draft has lost his starting job this season. Ahead of Week 3, the Carolina Panthers relegated No. 1 pick Bryce Young to a backup role behind Andy Dalton.
Like Young, who stepped back into his QB1 role for the Panthers when Dalton was injured ahead of Week 8, it seems like there’s a chance Richardson could regain his former role. A Colts team source told ESPN’s Stephen Holder that the team is “not quitting on Anthony.”
The Colts went 1-1 with Flacco under center and Richardson sidelined earlier this season. In those two starts, the veteran quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes while throwing for 548 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
Indianapolis signed Flacco to a one-year deal this offseason after he was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year for leading the Cleveland Browns to a wild-card spot as a late-season addition to the roster. The Colts will now hope the 39-year-old quarterback can lead their team on a similar late surge following their 4-4 start.
The team’s hopes of leading the division may have taken a hit with Sunday’s loss to the Texans, but there are seven other AFC teams with two or fewer wins through Week 8. The Colts can still hope to push for a playoff spot with a strong second half to the season.
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