Will Anthony Richardson ever reclaim his QB1 role in Indy?

INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-four hours after being benched after his 10th career start, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson returned to team headquarters and struck an upbeat tone.

He greeted a crowd of waiting reporters with a smile not unlike the one he flashed the night he was taken with the fourth overall pick 18 months ago. Richardson then outlined his next steps.

“It's just another opportunity to grow, look back and just think about things I could have done better for the team … and just focus on that,” he said.

Richardson, who was replaced by Joe Flacco in Sunday night's 21-13 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings, went on to say he believes he has another chance to step into the role of the team's starting quarterback. Colts coach Shane Steichen has helped lay the groundwork for Richardson to make a second appearance in Indy, insisting the franchise isn't over with him.

“Anthony definitely doesn’t give up,” said Steichen. “He is a young player with a lot of talent and he will use this time to develop and grow as a professional.”

Flacco struggled against the Vikings, completing 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards without a touchdown. He threw one interception and was sacked three times. The Colts posted season lows in offensive points (six), yards (227) and first downs (13)..

But when asked if Flacco remains the starter, Steichen said: “For now, yes.”

If history is any indication, Richardson has a very strong chance of regaining his status as the Colts' long-term starter.

Young NFL quarterbacks who lose their starting positions almost never return to their previous jobs, at least not on the same team and certainly not under the same coaching staff or front office.

Whether Richardson can buck the trend remains to be seen.

According to ESPN Research, since 2000, no quarterback drafted in the top 10 has lost his job because he was benched by his original team and then permanently reclaimed his starting job with the same club.

Examples of redemption stories abound, including Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold having a career year. But Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, is also on his fourth team.

In fact, quarterback comeback stories almost always occur in a different uniform.

Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions and Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks are players who changed teams before reclaiming their status as long-term starting quarterbacks.

Given how rarely a bench starter finds his way back, Steichen was asked if he thought that could happen with Richardson in Indianapolis.

“I can’t predict the future,” he said. “I really can’t do that. But we don’t lose faith in him.”

An NFL executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, tried to predict what comes next, telling ESPN: “I think (Richardson) will be there next year and they'll try to start him, but they have a backup or bridge (QB).” Faith can take over if it doesn't work.

If Richardson fails at this point, the Colts would likely trade him, the general manager said.

That would be a departure from how these situations normally play out. However, some differences in Richardson's situation should be noted.

He is a historical outlier in his position. No quarterback drafted in the first round has had fewer college starts than Richardson's 13 at the University of Florida (Mitch Trubisky also had 13 when he was selected No. 2 by the Chicago Bears in 2017). Richardson is also very young. He was drafted at age 20 and remained the NFL's youngest starting quarterback at age 22 before moving to the bench.

Internally, the Colts view the bench as a kind of time out for Richardson.

According to multiple sources, this is seen as an opportunity for him to improve his game preparation and better understand the gravity of the task, an area the team felt he was lacking. According to sources, this was an even bigger factor in the decision than Richardson's on-field performance.

Whether such expectations were previously communicated to Richardson is less clear. According to a source close to Richardson, Richardson was surprised by the move to the bench because he didn't realize he was lacking in that area.

Richardson's 10 starts represent a significantly smaller sample size than many top-10 picks who lost their jobs. Even Josh Rosen, considered one of the biggest draft busts, started 13 games for the Arizona Cardinals as a rookie in 2018 before the team moved on from the 10th overall draft pick.

Zach Wilson, the New York Jets' second overall pick in 2021, started 22 games in New York before the team hit the eject button last year and traded for Aaron Rodgers. Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers last year, started 18 games for the team before being traded in Week 3 of this season. He became a starter again after veteran Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury, but his future in Carolina remains unclear. He led the Panthers to a 23-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

In comparison, Richardson had four starts as a rookie before a season-ending injury and six starts this season before getting the hook.

That might explain why the locker room reaction to Richardson's benching varied from surprise to confusion.

“It's a crazy situation and I still have a lot of faith in AR and I know he'll do well when he gets his next chance,” said All-Pro guard and captain Quenton Nelson. “Yes, I was surprised.”

The move meant the Colts' revolving door at quarterback might not be finished yet. When Richardson started Week 1 this season, he became the first Colts QB since Andrew Luck in the 2015-16 season to start in consecutive season openers.

When asked if he was frustrated by the organization's constant turnover of quarterbacks, center Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured player and also a captain, replied, “I'd be lying to you if I said no.” He added that he was “a little surprised” about the bench press.

But the decision has been made, at least in the short term. The question now is what happens to Richardson.

“I’m still going to prepare like I’m the starter,” he said. “I feel like there is an opportunity for me to step back on the field and if it presents itself I will take it.”

Only time will tell if that opportunity lies with the Colts or another team.