The Indianapolis Colts were hoping to see improvement from Anthony Richardson in 2024, but unfortunately, that hasn't been the case so far. In 2023, Richardson played just four games before sustaining a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of his rookie season, and he's now four games into his sophomore season.
Through his first three games, Richardson had thrown for 583 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions, while rushing for 117 yards and a score with his legs. The Colts were 1-2 in Richardson's first three games, and there was some good with the young quarterback... but also a lot of bad.
Well, in Week 4, Richardson had to leave the game with a hip injury, and Joe Flacco took over. Flacco went on to throw for 168 yards and two touchdowns with no picks, and kept the Colts ahead of the previously undefeated Steelers.
The question after this game will be what the Colts are going to do at the quarterback spot. Let's assume Richardson is healthy enough to start in Week 5; do the Colts stick with Richardson, or do they start Flacco for a few games so that Richardson can observe from the sidelines?
Do the Colts have a QB controversy?
The fact of the matter is the Colts drafted Richardson to be their franchise quarterback, and want him to be the future at the position. That being said, if he's struggling and it's better for him to maybe sit out and observe for a few weeks, then maybe that's what the Colts need to do.
Flacco isn't the future of the Colts, but if the team starts him for a few games and the Colts win those games, then maybe when they feel it's time to put Richardson back out there, he'll have learned enough to be a better signal-caller.
It won't be an easy decision for Shane Steichen to make, but it might end up having to be something he considers doing. If the Colts stick with Richardson, they're showing they believe in him, but if he continues to underwhelm, they might have to accept that he's not going to be the answer moving forward. If they make the switch to Flacco, Richardson might take the benching hard, but it could end up helping him in the long run.
We'll see what the Colts decide to do.