Joe Flacco will start in Week 9 for the Indianapolis Colts against the Minnesota Vikings, a decision that was hinted at yesterday by head coach Shane Steichen. The decision comes after Anthony Richardson gave a bizarre performance against the Houston Texans, which included sitting out for one play because he was tired.
NFL expert Ian Rapoport tweeted that sources have confirmed Flacco is replacing Richardson as the Colts' starter; it was additionally reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Sources said that coaches met this morning and made the decision to bench Richardson.
Monday, Steichen had harsh words for Richardson, particularly his decision to tap out of the game in the third quarter. We had a conversation about it this morning in the quarterback room, which I'll keep private, but obviously in those situations he knows, right, on those type of deals, you can't take yourself out," Steichen said. "It's a learned experience for him and he's gotta grow from it."
When specifically asked whether or not Richardson should be benched as he grows as a quarterback, Steichen answered, "It could go either way, right?" He furthermore seemed to bristle at the idea that he was not putting Richardson in a position to be successful. "We're trying like crazy," he said. "I'm always trying to constantly put him in the best positions as best as I possibly can, and sometimes it works out, Greg, and sometimes it doesn't."
This is a huge change for Steichen, who has not only been fully behind Richardson in the past, but has taken ownership for poor play-calling and admitted that he has failed his young QB. Now, though, it seems that Steichen is content to throw Richardson under the bus while blatantly ignoring the massive mistakes he, himself, made during Sunday's game... mistakes that set Richardson up for failure.
The decision to start Flacco in favor of Richardson could well lead to playoff contention for the Colts. The question, though, is what will happen when the 2024 season is over now that the quarterback carousel is starting up again?