As much of a surprise as Anthony Richardson's benching was for most NFL fans, it seemed to have been equally as shocking to most members of the Indianapolis Colts. While the coaching staff cut the experiment short on Richardson fairly quickly after just 10 starts, they still seem to believe in his talent.
The team reportedly sees the benching as a “timeout” and wants him to return to the top of the depth chart, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. The Colts reporter wrote that he has heard the team wants Richardson to use this time to gain a “better understanding” of the responsibilities a starting quarterback has in the NFL.
“Internally, the Colts are viewing the benching as something of a timeout for Richardson,” Holder wrote. “According to multiple sources, it's being framed as an opportunity for him to improve his game preparation and better understand the gravity of the job, an area the team thinks he has been lacking. This, sources said, was even more a factor in the decision than Richardson's on-field performance.
“Whether such expectations were previously communicated to Richardson is less clear. Richardson was surprised by the benching, according to a source close to Richardson, because he did not realize he was falling short in this area.”
The decision to bench Richardson was not solely made by head coach Shane Steichen. The coaching staff reportedly held a meeting on the morning of Oct. 29 to discuss the possibility and cohesively came to the decision.
Colts struggle in Week 9 without Anthony Richardson
The Colts announced their decision to bench Richardson ahead of Week 9, subsequently turning to veteran Joe Flacco for their prime-time road game against the Minnesota Vikings. Practically the entire offense struggled in the game, leading to a 21-13 loss to drop them to 4-5 on the year.
Flacco is unanimously seen as the better passer than Richardson but completed just 16 passes in the game for 179 yards and no touchdowns. He added an interception in the second half to give him a passer rating of just 63.7 in his third start of the year.
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The trade-off in starting Flacco over Richardson is losing the latter's threat as a rusher for an improved passing game. The difference was evident in the ground production, or lack thereof, as the Colts managed just 68 rushing yards on the night. Jonathan Taylor took his 13 carries for just 47 yards to lead the team.
Flacco's lack of athleticism also led to the Vikings' three sacks on the night, including one that led to a fumble on the team's first drive of the night.
It is unclear if or when Indianapolis plans to re-insert Richardson into the starting lineup but it will likely not be in Week 10 when the Colts return home for a marquee matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
