The Indianapolis Colts are flipping the script.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Anthony Richardson will return to the starting lineup as the team’s QB1 on Sunday against the New York Jets, two weeks after benching him in favor of veteran Joe Flacco.
Richardson will remain the starter for the rest of the 2024 season, Steichen said.
“You understand the magnitude of everything. You understand the magnitude of the position,” Richardson told reporters about regaining his starting role. “You understand the magnitude of the work that you’ve got to put in, just to make sure that you’re right for the team.
“I definitely appreciate it. I’m fairly grateful, and happy and excited to get going this week again. I’m thankful.”
Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, has seen his early NFL career largely defined by injuries. After suffering a bruised knee in his NFL debut before a shoulder injury cut his rookie season to four games, Richardson returned in 2024 only to suffer an oblique injury in Week 4.
Richardson has completed 44.4 percent of his passes through six contests, the lowest mark in the NFL by quarterbacks who average at least 14 attempts per game, per ESPN. Steichen and the Colts could be hoping that giving him seven more starts to finish out the season will allow him to settle into a role he has held only intermittently since joining the team last year.
