Colts Pull The Plug On Richardson. Is The Experiment Over?
Source: Jack Gorman / Getty
The Indianapolis Colts made a seismic change on Tuesday by benching 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for 39-year-old Joe Flacco as the team gets ready to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.
The move comes after Richardson has faced waves of criticism, both for his scattershot play but especially after he tapped out of a play against the Texans on Sunday, a decision he later attributed for being “tired.” This will mark Flacco’s third start in a Colts uniform, with his previous two being a loss to the Jaguars and a win over the Titans.
This move will undoubtedly give the Colts a better chance to win here in the present, but what about the future? Are the Colts throwing in the towel on the Anthony Richardson experiment, or do they still have hopes to salvage the former 4th-overall pick?
According to some anonymous team sources, it could be the latter.
It’s not surprising that the Colts front office may have that mindset. If they admit that Richardson isn’t the answer, everyone is losing their jobs. That’s what happens when you whiff on the 4th-overall pick in the draft. The only chance Chris Ballard and company have of saving their skin is if they can somehow fix Richardson. But how realistic is that? How do you turn back to a 22-year-old quarterback whose confidence you’ve just shattered, and who may have lost the locker room on Sunday against the Texans?
During the Tuesday edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Greg Rakestraw of the Colts Fifth Quarter Huddle and asked him if he thinks there’s any chance Richardson’s time in Indy isn’t over.
“I think that is a move that you make one time…If somehow Joe Flacco gets hurt…Anthony Richardson comes back in and plays well, then you have an opportunity, but no I generally think it’s a one-time move.”
Nate Atkins of the IndyStar also joined the show, and shared his thoughts on if the Colts could ever go back to Richardson.
“The odds of it working out are almost none at this point, just based on historical precedent. For it to work out we’re going to have to look back on this and say ‘The Colts pulled off something with quarterback development that nobody in the history of football has’. There can always be a first for something, but that’s what they’re betting on.”
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Nate and Greg down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
Colts Pull The Plug On Richardson. Is The Experiment Over? was originally published on 1075thefan.com
