Anthony Richardson will return to starting quarterback duties for the Indianapolis Colts beginning with this week’s game against the New York Jets, head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday.
According to Steichen, it will be Richardson’s job for the rest of the season.
Joe Flacco has been the team’s No. 1 prospect the past two weeks — losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills — but Steichen said Richardson has shown improvement in practice that warrants him getting another chance to start.
“It’s the attention to detail in everything he does,” Steichen said. “Every little thing just has to be of a higher level. This was discussed with him two weeks ago and he has made progress in those areas. He’s a pro. It’s my job to get him there.”
The decision comes two days after Steichen told reporters that Flacco would remain the starter even after four interceptions and two fumbles in two games. Despite the veteran’s struggles, Steichen wasn’t ready to return to Richardson at the time.
“You have to go through the process every day,” Steichen said of Richardson on Monday. “And that’s what it’s all about. He’s a wonderful person, a phenomenal human being. Like I said, I never lose faith in him. We are currently going through a process and that is what matters.”
Steichen said Wednesday that Flacco’s play played no role in the decision.
Through six games this season, Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has struggled. He has thrown for 958 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions with a completion percentage of 44.4.
Flacco, meanwhile, has failed to match the success he had with the Cleveland Browns last season. In his six games he has thrown for 1,167 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions with a 65.5 completion percentage, but the Colts are 2-4 in the games he has played.
Entering Week 11, the Colts are 4-6 and second in the AFC South, two games behind the first-place Houston Texans and just out of the AFC playoff picture.
