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Stephen Holder, ESPN
The Indianapolis Colts are benching Anthony Richardson and turning to Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter.
Colts coaches met Tuesday morning and ultimately decided to change quarterbacks, sources told Fowler and Schefter, opting for Flacco over the struggling Richardson.
The benching came two days after Richardson asked to come out of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans for one play because, as he later told reporters, he “was tired.”
Colts coach Shane Steichen said Monday that he was evaluating the team’s quarterback situation, adding that Richardson’s request to come out of the game would not be a factor in his decision.
Richardson said after Sunday’s game that he told Steichen he “needed a break right there” as he left the game, tapping on his helmet.
Richardson was 10-of-32 for 175 yards in Sunday’s loss at Houston. The No. 4 overall selection in last year’s draft has a 44.4% completion rate this season, which is the fifth-worst in a player’s first six games of a season since 2000, according to ESPN Research.
Steichen did not defend Richardson’s decision to leave the game, saying Monday that he had a private conversation with the second-year quarterback and adding that “you can’t take yourself out, and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”
Colts enter Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured player on the current roster, said Richardson “knows it’s not the standard that he needs to play up to and the rest of the team holds him to.”
The Colts (4-4) now will turn to the 39-year-old Flacco, who replaced the injured Richardson earlier this season and passed for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception in parts of three games.
Richardson is the second quarterback taken in the first round of last year’s draft to be benched this season. The Carolina Panthers benched No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young last month for veteran Andy Dalton.
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