The Indianapolis Colts have decided to return Joe Flacco, the team’s starting quarterback, as their head coach. Shane Steichen confirmed on Wednesday.
“I just look at where we are as a football team, sitting at .500 with a lot of football, and I feel like Joe gives us the best chance to go forward,” he said. a week’s change.”
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and starter this season, will be demoted to backup duty.
“I’m not giving up on Anthony by any means,” Steichen said. “He’s a really talented young player.”
After the Colts’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday, Steichen would not commit to sticking with Richardson as the team’s starter. said that they are “evaluating” the options for a Week 9 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
Richardson was 10-32 for 175 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Houston. He he explained his absence for a short period of time it was due to his “fatigue” in the third quarter.
10 games into his NFL career, Richardson has shown little improvement. In fact, it has regressed. Richardson’s rookie campaign was limited to four games due to multiple injuries. But he showed upside, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per completion. His 59.5% completion percentage left room for improvement.
Starting in six games this season Richardson took a step backand the anxieties which haunted him from Florida were intensified. Deep balls are there. Richardson leads the league with 16.2 yards per completion and has thrown touchdown passes on multiple highlight reels. But his 44.4% completion percentage is out of proportion with an NFL backup, much less a starter. And his 4-of-7 touchdown rate is not an interception rate.
After a resurgent season in Cleveland in 2023, Flacco joined the Colts to back up Richardson this season. He started three games and led the team to two victories. He has a 65.7% pass completion percentage and has seven touchdowns and just one interception while averaging 179 passing yards a game.