There is a quarterback controversy brewing in Indianapolis, and Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson might only have himself to blame.
ESPN reports that the team has decided to bench Richardson in their Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. They will instead put the ball in the hands of Joe Flacco.
Flacco is no slouch. He’s a Super Bowl champion and a former Super Bowl MVP. (And, amazingly, Cleveland Browns hero). So it’s not like they’re resting their hopes on somebody like Babe Laufenberg.
But Richardson’s benching is almost entirely of his own doing. The move comes just days after he substituted himself out of a game against the Houston Texans because he was tired.
You know, from running and stuff. Tired!
Anthony Richardson Was Too Tired To Run A Third Down Play
Anthony Richardson raised some eyebrows with fans after admitting he had to sub himself out during the third quarter in his team’s loss this weekend because he ran too much the play before.
“I was tired, I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “That was a lot of running right there. I didn’t think I’d be able to do that next play so I told them I needed a break right there.”
The Colts lost 23-20 and fell to .500 in the standings. But it wasn’t the self-benching alone that likely contributed to the coaching staff thinking they needed a shakeup.
Richardson was atrocious, completing just 10 out of 32 passes for 175 yards.
Colts four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly suggested after the game that Richardson needed to be held to a higher standard after taking himself out of the game for a play while their coach, Shane Steichen, also seemed displeased.
“You can’t take yourself out, and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it,” Steichen said.
Is This The End?
The Indianapolis Colts are making it clear that Anthony Richardson’s benching – the real one from the coach, not his own self-imposed rest – is not a sign that they’re giving up on him. Yet.
One team source said this was a “growth opportunity” for him and that the team is “not quitting on Anthony.”
“That will be the story, but that is not the case,” the source told ESPN.
Who knows? Maybe he was just so winded from all the running on Sunday that he needs an entire week off.
Richardson, during the offseason, suggested the NFL game is easier to play than the college game. It’s really easy when you’re sitting on the sidelines.
Richardson is ranked 29th in the league in passing yards and 32nd with just 4 passing touchdowns.
Is this move meant to light a fire under him? What happens if Flacco comes in and torches a very solid Vikings team? Would they go back to their first-round draft pick?
Stay tuned, folks. Things are starting to get messy.
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