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Will Anthony Richardson ever regain his QB1 role in Indy?
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Will Anthony Richardson ever regain his QB1 role in Indy?

INDIANAPOLIS – Twenty-four hours after being benched in his 10th career start, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson returned to the team’s headquarters and struck an optimistic note.

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

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

Richardson, who was replaced by Joe Flacco for Sunday night’s 21-13 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings, went on to say he believes he will get another chance to ascend to the team’s starting quarterback role. Colts coach Shane Steichen helped plant the seed that Richardson might have a second act in Indy, emphasizing that the franchise isn’t done with him yet.

“I’m not giving up on Anthony in any way shape or form,” Steichen said. “He is a young player with a lot of talent and he will use this time to further develop and grow as a professional.”

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

But when asked if Flacco will remain the starter, Steichen said, “At this point, yes.”

If history is any indication, Richardson faces some very long odds to regain his status as the Colts’ long-term starter.

Young NFL quarterbacks who lose their starting roles almost never get their previous jobs back, at least not with the same team and certainly not under the same coaching staff or front office.

Whether Richardson can break the trend remains to be seen.

According to ESPN Research, no quarterback drafted in the top 10 since 2000 has lost his job due to a benching with his original team and then permanently regained that starting job with the same club.

There are countless examples of redemption stories, 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 happen 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 among players who changed teams before reclaiming their status as long-term starting quarterbacks.

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

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

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

If Richardson fails at that point, the executive said, the Colts would likely trade him.

That would be different from how these situations usually play out. But some differences in Richardson’s situation should be noted.

He is a historical outlier because of 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 the No. 2 pick of the Chicago Bears in 2017). Richardson is also very young. He was drafted when he was 20 years old, and at 22, he remained the NFL’s youngest starting quarterback before being benched.

Internally, the Colts view the benching as a timeout of sorts for Richardson.

According to multiple sources, it is seen as an opportunity for him to improve his match preparation and better understand the gravity of the task, an area the team believes he is lacking. According to sources, this played even more of a role in the decision than Richardson’s performance on the field.

Whether such expectations were previously communicated to Richardson is less clear. Richardson, according to a source close to Richardson, was surprised by the benching because he did not realize he was lacking in this area.

Richardson’s ten 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 for 2021, started 22 games in New York before the team hit the eject button and traded for Aaron Rodgers last year. Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick of the Carolina Panthers last year, started 18 games with the team before being benched 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 did lead the Panthers to a 23-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

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

That might help explain why the locker room’s reaction to Richardson’s benching ranged from surprise to confusion.

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

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

When asked if he was frustrated by the constant turnover of quarterbacks in the organization, center Ryan Kelly, the current longest-tenured player and another captain, said, “I’d be lying to you if I said no.” He added that he was “a little surprised” by the benching.

But the decision, at least for the short term, has been made. 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’s an opportunity for me to take a step back on the field, and when it comes, I’m going to take advantage of it.”

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