Colts Should Not Bench Anthony Richardson

INDIANAPOLIS — Two things about Anthony Richardson and a potential benching can be true.

Richardson has not played good football this year.

Yet, benching him is not the right move for the state of the franchise.

Shane Steichen has left the door open to possibly benching Richardson, stating the team is “evaluating everything” when asked directly on Monday if Richardson will start Week 9 at Minnesota. ESPN has reported the Colts will be benching Richardson, starting Joe Flacco for Sunday Night Football.

The move would be a stark contrast to how Steichen, and the other important Colts decision makers, have long stated the importance of playing time for Richardson, some 10 starts into his NFL journey.

Evidence for questioning if Richardson should continue to start is certainly there.

Richardson’s accuracy numbers at a historically low mark in 2024 (44.4 percent) and he has the NFL’s second highest interception rate. He’s 27^th in yards per attempt and dead last in quarterback rating.

For those curious if Richardson tapping out for a play against the Texans is a reason for Steichen’s change in words, the head coach said that wasn’t the case on Monday. Although, one would imagine Owner Jim Irsay, an old school football historian, was no fan of the embarrassing look of a quarterback asking out of the game because he was tired.

Putting that (overblown?) debate to the side, support around Richardson hasn’t been at the level that’s needed, which includes Steichen.

And yet the Colts are still 5-5 with Richardson as a career starter (9 of the 10 games decided by one possession) with him getting invaluable experience in 2024.

There’s no question Richardson needs to play better. Among the accuracy issues that have been persistent, the quarterback’s situational awareness was lacking in Sunday’s loss to the Texans.

But the quarterback could use quicker/easier access throws (something Steichen has admitted), with an RPO focus, to stay out of the “big plays or bust” mantra that has seemed to be there way too often in his young career. Throwing with more anticipation is a fair critique of Richardson, but so is a skill group offering more playmaking at the moment of truth.

Turning to Flacco does exactly what for the Colts long-term at the most important position in sports? And how is that a change from how the Colts have operated since Andrew Luck’s retirement in 2019?

Flacco is certainly a high-quality backup and should be commended by what he continues to do just months shy of turning 40 years old.

He’s also 8-16 in his last 24 starts, with just 1 winning season in the last 7 years. That was a 4-1 stint with the Browns last year in which Cleveland was 7-4 when Flacco took over and had the league’s top-ranked defense.

While playing Flacco might increase the Colts chances at a couple more wins in 2024, what’s the ceiling of that? Another middling season of hovering around .500, while bowing out in the Wild Card round?

Hasn’t a year like that happened before with the Colts whether Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Gardner Minsehw, Jacoby Brissett, Matt Ryan (not really) have been under center? Does this same move, albeit with a different lead actor (Flacco) need to be watched again?

Sticking with Richardson forces the young QB to face the first major roadblock (non-health related) of his NFL career.

Hell, if it goes poorly, the Colts get more clarity on their Richardson answer and perhaps will have a better draft pick than if Flacco takes the reigns for the 2 months.

For those wanting Richardson to sit and watch, I’d ask what he was doing for 13 games last season? Richardson missed 85 percent of his rookie season, with a right shoulder injury forcing him into mental reps, after mental reps, with Gardner Minshew starting.

NFL precedent shows that pulling the plug on a young quarterback to sit, and then throwing him back into the fire later, rarely leads to success.

Entering the NFL, Richardson was often compared to Josh Allen for their physical similarities and lack of an impressive collegiate resume.

Through the first year/year-plus of their NFL careers, it’s eerie to see how similar of stats the two have.

Richardson (first 10 games, rookie and second season):

-Record: 5-5

-Completion percentage: 50.2

-Yards per pass attempt: 7.1

-Passing yards per game: 153.5

-Passing TDs: 7

-Interceptions: 8

-Passer Rating: 68.8

-Rushing yards: 378

-Rushing TD

Allen (first 12 games, entire rookie season:

-Record: 5-7

-Completion percentage: 52.8

-Yards per pass attempt: 6.5

-Passing yards per game: 172.8

-Passing TDs: 10

-Interceptions: 12

-Passer Rating: 67.9

-Rushing yards: 631

-Rushing TDs: 8

Sure, there are obvious other examples of young quarterbacks not recovering from poor starts. But the intrigue and potential for development of that happening is worth more than simply watching another band-aid (and old) quarterback play out the final two months of another stuck in purgatory season.

Doing that would actually delay getting a clear and true answer on Richardson.

Would the Colts then turn back to Richardson in 2025? Would there be continued growing pains for Richardson without getting more of tremendous in-game experiences he’s getting, some of which was evident on Sunday.

Undoubtedly, the Colts franchise (and their fan base) is in a very awkward, even a bit foreign, situation.

They haven’t won a division title since 2014, with one playoff win that decade-long span. Some two-thirds of the NFL has achieved those things since the Colts.

Amidst their worst playoff drought in 30 years, they are asking for patience from a fan base that isn’t used to seeing project attempts, let alone a gargantuan one, take place at the most important position in sports.

Following the selection of Richardson last April, the Colts brass was steadfast in their commitment to early playing time for a guy with one of the greenest college resumes you’ll ever see.

“With anything, I think the development of players comes with more experience,” Shane Steichen said. “13 starts, I think when you play more, that’s how you develop. With (Richardson) playing and his experience as a player and getting more reps, practice reps, game reps, I think that’s how you develop.”

“You get better by playing,” Jim Irsay added. “Practice and preseason games and watching in the quarterback room is great, but you get better by playing.

“It’s really important because, again, his development adds so much of a key to the franchise’s future. It’s the critical key. Everyone knows that him developing into an outstanding, great player in this league is going to determine where we go and how far we go and how long we go with excellence.’’

At the first moment of true playing adversity for Richardson, bailing on seeing how he handles that would be quite the move.

Playing in primetime against the NFL’s highest blitz/pressure team a week after questions galore are coming at Richardson would be an awesome, unscripted opportunity for the young quarterback to prove his mettle.

That can’t be simulated in a meeting room, or in the very limited practice reps that comes to an NFL quarterback.

If it goes well for Richardson in that moment vs. the Vikings, great. It’s a, rare, step back in the right direction of a roller coast without many peaks to this point.

If not, then the Colts are one step closer to getting a clearer answer on the franchise quarterback investment.

Ideally, you would have Richardson turn this sinking ship around to calmer waters.

If not though, quicker clarity on his future is also important for helping the Colts pivot if need be on their quarterback decision.