Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is off to a rough start in his second NFL season.
He may have lost his job following Sunday’s performance in a loss to the Houston Texans.
Head coach Shane Steichen was asked twice on Monday about whether Richardson is still the Colts’ starting quarterback.
“Right now, today he is, yes,” Steichen said.
Steichen was then asked to clarify if Richardson would start next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
“We’re evaluating,” Steichen responded.
So, maybe.
Colts rolled the dice in drafting Richardson
The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft based almost strictly on the upside of his tremendous arm strength and athleticism. After a single season as Florida’s full-time starter in 2022, it was clear that Richardson was a raw prospect with significant concerns about his accuracy.
Richardson completed just 53.8% of his passes in his final college season. But he tantalized NFL scouts with an SEC-best 14.5 yards per completion and 654 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry with nine touchdowns on the ground.
Richardson has regressed in his 2nd NFL season
The book on Richardson was that if he could develop his accuracy, he’d become one of the NFL’s most dangerous weapons. It’s a path that Josh Allen traveled en route to becoming one of the league’s best quarterbacks after similar concerns about his accuracy followed him from Wyoming.
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’s 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.
More struggles on Sunday
The first half on Sunday produced a new low. Richardson completed just 2 of 15 passes before halftime against Houston. It was the full Richardson experience, as one of his two completions was a 69-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs.
Richardson finished the day completing 10 of 32 passes (31.3%) for 175 yards with one touchdown and an interception that set the Texans up inside the Indianapolis 10-yard line before halftime.
The Texans converted the turnover into a touchdown and won the game, 23-20.
Richardson made matters worse for himself by briefly exiting the game in the third quarter. It wasn’t so much that he left the game that raised concerns, but his postgame explanation.
“Tired, ain’t gonna lie,” Richardson told reporters about his exit. “That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was gonna be able to go that next play. So, I just told [head coach Shane Steichen] I needed a break right there.”
Steichen said Monday that he’s discussed that decision with Richardson.
“We had a conversation about it this morning in the quarterback room, which I’ll keep private,” Steichen said. “But, obviously in those situations, he knows on those type of deals, you can’t take yourself out. And it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”
Would Richardson benefit from some time on the bench?
Backup Joe Flacco entered the game for one play after Richardson’s exit on third-and-goal in the third quarter. It was Flacco’s fourth appearance this season, including two starts when Richardson was injured.
The Colts’ offense has performed better with Flacco, who’s completed 65.7% of his passes for 7.5 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns and one interception this season. The Colts are 4-4 and not out of the playoff race in the AFC.
Meanwhile, Richardson was thrown into the fire as an NFL starter from Day 1 despite being a raw prospect. Would he and the Colts mutually benefit from a midseason quarterback change that allows him to learn and develop from the bench?