Two weeks after benching Anthony Richardson, then hinting the 2023 first-round draft pick might never start for the team again, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has completely reversed course. Coming off two losses with backup Joe Flacco under center, Steichen told reporters Wednesday that Richardson will return as the starting quarterback not only in Week 11 but for the rest of the 2024 NFL season.
“He will be our starter again,” Steichen said of Richardson. “He’s gonna start this week [against the New York Jets], and he’s gonna start the rest of the season. And we’re gonna go from there.”
The coach announced the decision moments after indicating Richardson had “made big-time strides” behind the scenes during his two weeks as the backup. Steichen had previously noted Richardson’s youth when initially demoting the second-year signal-caller, highlighting the fact the quarterback had a lot to learn as a 22-year-old. On Wednesday, he said Richardson had already succeeded at bringing the “little things” — from weight-room work to classroom study — up to a “higher standard.”
“Everyone has a different way [of developing],” Steichen said. “I love Anthony. And I have great faith in him to be our franchise quarterback.”
His remarks are a jarring contrast to his noncommittal approach taken just weeks ago, when he responded to questions about Richardson’s potential to return as a starter by saying, “I can’t predict the future.”
Richardson went 3-3 as the starter before his demotion, thriving as a rusher with nearly 6 yards per carry but struggling to find a steady rhythm as a passer with four touchdowns to seven interceptions and just a 44.4% completion rate. Flacco, meanwhile, through four picks of his own in an 0-2 stretch as QB1.