Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced prior to Wednesday’s practice that Anthony Richardson will be the team’s starting quarterback against the New York Jets on Sunday and for the remainder of the season.
While this decision comes only two days after Steichen said that Joe Flacco would start this Sunday, he added on Wednesday that the move back to Richardson was about the strides that he has taken in the meeting rooms, weight room, and in practices over the last two weeks.
Steichen did talk with both Jim Irsay and Chris Ballard, but ultimately said this was his decision.
“We’ve made it very clear to him that he’s our quarterback going forward,” said Steichen.
Initially, when the Colts benched Richardson, one of the reasons was that Steichen said that Flacco gave the team the best chance to win. However, as these last two weeks unfolded, it also became more evident that Richardson’s performance on the field may not have been the only factor in this decision, with Steichen sighting on Monday that there was a process with him that they were working through.
Although Richardson tapping out of the game for a play against Houston was said to never be a part of the equation, he was benched just two days after that happened.
With Flacco at the helm, the offense has sputtered, totaling just 26 points over two games, along with Flacco being responsible for six turnovers. The run game also took a hit without Richardson under center.
However, Steichen would add that the decision to start Richardson moving forward was not about Flacco’s play but about the strides Richardson has made.
On the season, Richardson is completing only 44.4 percent of his throws–a league low–at 7.2 yards per attempt with four touchdowns to seven incompletions.
The consistency hasn’t been there for him, particularly in the short to intermediate passing game, but he did bring big play potential to the passing game with his arm talent, not to mention that his ability as a ball carrier is another element defenses have to worry about.
(This article was updated to provide additional information.)