The Indianapolis Colts have decided to replace Anthony Richardson with Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback for the upcoming game against Minnesota, based on information from two sources familiar with the situation.
These individuals requested anonymity since the team has not yet publicly announced this decision.

Head Coach Shane Steichen hinted at a possible change on Monday, stating that he was in the process of “evaluating” Richardson’s role as the starter, marking the first indication that a shift could take place for the 4-4 Colts.

Richardson, who was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, struggled during the Colts’ recent 23-20 defeat to Houston, completing only 10 of 32 passes while being sacked five times.
Additionally, he faced backlash for opting to leave the game briefly because he felt fatigued.

Flacco, a veteran quarterback at 39 years old, previously stepped in when Richardson was sidelined with a right hip injury; during that time, he started the following two games.
In those outings, Flacco demonstrated effective performance, completing 71 of 108 passes for 716 yards, throwing seven touchdown passes and just one interception, leading the Colts to a 2-1 record.

Richardson has struggled in the games he has both started and finished, leading to a 2-3 record for the Colts in those matchups. The former University of Florida quarterback has completed 59 of 133 passes, accumulating 958 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions so far this season.

The decision to bench Richardson mirrors a trend, as he joins Carolina’s Bryce Young, another top-five draft pick from last year, in being sidelined due to performance issues. Young started in the Panthers’ last game after backup Andy Dalton was sidelined due to a car accident. Despite a solid performance throwing for 224 yards, the Panthers lost 28-24 to Denver.