The Indianapolis Colts are moving off of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for the foreseeable future, deciding that Joe Flacco will be the team’s new starting quarterback. But it turns out, Anthony Richardson didn’t exactly get a clear explanation as to why the move was being made.
Richardson was widely regarded as the future of the Colts organization at the quarterback position coming into the season. But even the most optimistic Colts fan knew that he was a project of a player that needed significant development.
The physical traits are there with Richardson. But as a passer, he is far from polished, which is seemingly why the decision was made to go with Flacco after the second-year player struggled throughout much of his second season in the NFL.
You would think that after the Colts decided to go with Flacco, Colts head coach Shane Steichen would take Richardson to the side and explain to him what he needs to work on to improve as a player.
But according to Anthony Richardson, that is not the case whatsoever. When asked by reporters whether Steichen explained the decision, Richardson said “Nah, not really”, only detailing that Steichen told him he had to “take in the information and just grow”.
If you have any support at all for Richardson, you let him know the areas that he has to improve on to one day grow into the quarterback of the future in Indianapolis. Instead, it seems like Shane Steichen is entirely pushing Richardson to the side in favor of a 39-year-old quarterback in Joe Flacco without giving him any direction.
Naturally, Colts fans who still support Richardson took to social media to disagree with how this situation was handled.
“So screwed up,” one fan wrote on X.
“I don’t care if you think AR is the guy or not you give him an actual explanation why you’re benching him,” another wrote on X.
“Can’t even give him an explanation the whole front office should be fired,” another Colts fan wrote on X.
Only time will tell whether Richardson does see the field again in Indianapolis in the future. But at the moment, it sure looks like Richardson is turning into an afterthought.