One day after Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson briefly left a game because he was tired, coach Shane Steichen told reporters he was “evaluating everything,” including whether Richardson will start next weekend against Minnesota.
Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, has faced challenges in two games since coming back from an injured right hip, which he admitted affected his throwing power.
He also seemed to hurt his left hand during Sunday’s 23-20 loss at Houston, which put the Colts two games behind the Texans in the AFC South and left them without a tiebreaker because they were swept by their division rival.
What the Colts (4-4) will do next is uncertain. “As of right now, today, yes,” Steichen said when asked if Richardson is still the starter. But when asked specifically if Richardson will start next weekend, Steichen replied: “We’re evaluating.”
Indy picked Richardson with the hope that he would put an end to the ongoing quarterback changes that have seen seven different opening-day starters in seven seasons.
The former Florida star finally broke that pattern this year, becoming the first Colts quarterback to start in consecutive openers since Andrew Luck in 2015 and 2016.
Still, Richardson’s performance has raised more questions. He has only won half of his 10 NFL starts in two seasons, and injuries have kept him from finishing six of those games and caused him to miss 15.
Richardson’s stats are even more concerning. He has completed a league-low 44.4% of his passes this season and has gone 20 of 56 for 364 yards, with one touchdown, one interception, and two lost fumbles since returning from his hip injury.
The team’s struggles have led many fans to suggest that backup Joe Flacco might give Indy a better chance to make the playoffs. Richardson didn’t gain many new supporters when he explained why he left the Houston game during the second half on Sunday.
“Tired. I ain’t going to lie,” Richardson said. “That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do that next play.”
In the past three weeks, Indy has been averaging 303 total yards and 18.7 points per game, numbers that both Steichen and Richardson agree are not nearly good enough to win regularly. Now, changes might be on the way—possibly at quarterback.
“He knows, on those type deals, you can’t take yourself out,” Steichen said, while also mentioning that Richardson tapping his helmet to leave the game is not the reason he’s considering different options. “It’s a learning experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”
