Who would be the Colts’ quarterback in 2025 and past?
That’s the place our minds have to go after Indianapolis’ choice to bench Anthony Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, a probably franchise-altering transfer. The information comes after Colts coach Shane Steichen was noncommittal about Richarson being his starter after finishing simply 31.3 p.c of his passes for 175 yards and a landing with one interception in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans. That efficiency continued his season-long passing struggles and notable regression for the previous No. 1 decide. 4 general from a promising four-game stint as a rookie.
(RELATED: Colts reportedly bench Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco named beginning QB)
On the one hand this may be thought of a severe mistake.
The Colts selected Richardson figuring out he was an inexperienced prospect who wanted reps. The complete NFL world knew it. After all, he solely performed 13 video games at Florida. He had the identical accuracy points in Gainesville that he has proven to date within the league. So bringing him in after beginning simply 10 NFL video games, after preaching to the general public to be affected person with him since final spring, appears absurd. We should do not forget that Richardson missed helpful growth time as a result of shoulder harm that additionally ended his rookie season prematurely.
Indianapolis additionally may have prioritized doing extra for him earlier than pulling the plug.
Steichen’s playcalling has been head-scratching at instances this season — the Colts run the ball greater than they run it regardless of being constructed to run with a wholesome Jonathan Taylor — and Indianapolis’ receivers have not helped.
In Sunday’s loss to the Texans, operating again Tyler Goodson dropped an open landing. Rookie vast receiver Adonai Mitchell didn’t preserve two ft inbounds on one other. There have been additionally different drops all through the sport. The Colts averaged 6.3 yards per carry in opposition to the Texans, however solely ran the ball 26 instances on 32 passes.
Richardson must act higher, however the forged round him did not assist him. Indianapolis go catchers have a drop charge of seven.1%, which ranks within the backside half of the league this season (thirteenth), in response to Sportradar.
“Obviously we’re analyzing every part and evaluating every part,” Steichen stated Monday. “Run the ball higher, put Richardson in simpler positions, get the ball out of his palms faster so he does not drop again, sit again there. So, we’re continually evaluating him, however we have got to be higher there.”
The argument in opposition to Richardson is that he struggled a lot that this transfer was obligatory.
Richardson’s completion charge of 44.1% this season is the worst within the league by greater than 14 proportion factors (second-worst is Jacoby Brissett of the New England Patriots at 59.1%). He has fallen 158 instances this season. Of the 344 quarterbacks since at the least 2016 who’ve had that many dropbacks, Richardson’s completion charge ranks final all-time, in response to Next Gen Stats.
His lack of timing, anticipation and accuracy in intermediate passes is jarring. On throws as much as 20 yards within the air, he accomplished simply 51.2 p.c of his throws for 507 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to three interceptions, in response to Pro Football Focus. His deep ball may be magical and he leads the league in yards per completion (16.2), nevertheless it’s too inconsistent to justify how unhealthy he is been down there.
The Colts (4-4) have a reliable likelihood to make the playoffs once more this season, and Flacco most likely provides them the very best likelihood to win. Indianapolis is 2 video games behind Houston (6-2) for first place within the AFC South, however the Colts are only one wild-card spot away.
The Texans dropping Stefon Diggs for the 12 months with a torn ACL additionally leaves them weak on the high of the division. Continuing to play Richardson might be seen as a disservice to the locker room. In 4 appearances this season, together with two begins, Flacco has accomplished 65.7 p.c of his passes for 716 yards and 7 touchdowns with only one interception and one misplaced fumble. By comparability, Richardson has 958 passing yards and 4 touchdowns with seven picks and two misplaced fumbles.
We may additionally be underestimating the stress Steichen and common supervisor Chris Ballard are beneath. Owner Jim Irsay has exercised numerous endurance with Ballard over time, however the actuality is that the Colts haven’t any division titles and solely two playoff appearances in his seven-plus seasons as GM, most just lately in 2020. Few GMs have been provided the type of leash with none tangible success that Ballard has had.
Richardson’s choice to overlook Sunday’s recreation for motion may have additionally added gasoline to the Colts’ rising QB issues. Steichen informed reporters Monday that Richardson’s choice to retire didn’t influence the reevaluation of the quarterback place, nevertheless it might be a public relations stunt. After all, these are the identical Colts who had preached reps and endurance for the man they’re now benching after 10 begins.
All in all, for this reason the Colts are again in quarterback purgatory, as they’ve been within the years since Andrew Luck’s beautiful retirement in 2019.
While the Colts wish to return Richardson sooner or later, seeing it as a possibility to be taught and develop behind Flacco, the fact is that they’re delaying the sport growth of a uncooked quarterback whose recreation growth has been constantly pushed again from highschool to reason for an harm. Its progress now looks as if an afterthought. The franchise additionally should tackle how all of this would possibly influence the arrogance of the 22-year-old Richardson, who had been the league’s youngest QB1 since final season.
Is benching Anthony Richardson the fitting transfer for Colts?
There are few examples of extremely touted early-round quarterbacks who started their profession as a starter, have been benched, after which regained the beginning job for a similar crew and located success.
The finest fashionable instance is likely to be selection #1. 1 general decide in 2005, Alex Smith, who was out and in of the lineup as a rookie with the San Francisco 49ershowever then performed six extra seasons with the franchise earlier than being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his third NFL season, legend Drew Brees was additionally benched in favor of Doug Flutie after a 1-7 begin with the San Diego Chargers. He went on to start out 31 video games over the following two seasons earlier than leaving for the New Orleans Saints. But Brees was by no means a Day 1 starter as a rookie like Richardson.
“Like I stated earlier than, the extra you play, the extra you be taught at that place,” Steichen stated. “But is there typically a bonus to sitting again and watching? Yes, in fact there may be. So, these are simply conversations that occur within the offseason and that proceed continually throughout NFL soccer groups.”
The Colts have opened a can of worms and there’s no going again.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, the place he was Titans beat the author for a 12 months and a half. It lined the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) earlier than transferring to Tennessee. You can observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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