The Indianapolis Colts made the surprising decision to bench second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson on Tuesday following the team’s Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans. But as far as Richardson sees it, this actually presents a unique opportunity for him to grow as a player.
The decision comes after Richardson completed just 31.3 percent of his passes against the Texans on Sunday. On top of that, he received a ton of scrutiny after asking to be subbed out on a key play in the red zone because he was “tired”.
Now, Richardson will cede the starting role in Indianapolis to Joe Flacco for the time being. But that doesn’t mean that Richardson believes his time in Indianapolis is over.
Richardson discussed the benching with reporters on Wednesday, detailing that he plans to “take advantage” of any opportunities he gets to see the field in the future.
“I feel like there is an opportunity for me to step back on the field. When it does present itself, I’m gonna take advantage of it,” Richardson said, via Dominic Miranda of NBC 13 in Indianapolis, transcribed by Pro Football Talk.
Richardson has flashed his athletic upside in his time with Indianapolis. But the consistency and accuracy as a passer simply hasn’t been there.
At just 22 years of age, there is now doubt about his future in Indianapolis. But at least he has the right mindset as he awaits watching Joe Flacco from the sidelines for the team’s Sunday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.