The Indianapolis Colts benched Anthony Richardson and turned to Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter.

Colts coaches met Tuesday morning and ultimately decided to switch quarterbacks, sources told Fowler and Schefter, choosing Flacco over the struggling Richardson.

The benching came two days after Richardson asked to sit out of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans for one game because, as he later told reporters, he was “tired.”

Colts coach Shane Steichen said Monday he was evaluating the team’s quarterback situation, adding that Richardson’s request to leave the game would not be a factor in his decision.

Internally, the Colts maintain that Richardson’s time as their franchise quarterback is not over.

One team source characterized the benching as a “growth opportunity” and also emphasized that the Colts are “not quitting Anthony.”

“That will be the story, but that is not the case,” the source told ESPN.

Richardson, even in Year 2 with the Colts, remained the NFL’s youngest starting quarterback at 22 years old. He was drafted before his 21st birthday and started at the University of Florida after just 13 years.

The Colts had insisted Richardson needed to play to grow as a player, which fueled their decision to start him as a rookie. He was named Gardner Minshew’s starter in training camp in 2023 after just one preseason game.

The move to Richardson therefore marks a significant departure from the organization’s previous thinking.

“Taking a step back can be a good thing,” the team source said.

A source close to Richardson described him as deeply affected by the news. But that source also indicated that Richardson will handle the relegation professionally and will be ready if he is called upon.

Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards in Sunday’s loss to Houston. He told Steichen he “needed a break there” as he left the game in the third quarter and tapped his helmet.

Richardson, the No. 4 pick in last year’s draft, has a 44.4% completion percentage this season, which is the fifth-worst in the first six games of a season for a player since 2000, according to ESPN Research.

Steichen did not defend Richardson’s decision to leave the game, saying Monday that he had a private conversation with the second-year quarterback and adding, “You can’t take yourself out of it, and it’s a learned experience for him and he has to grow of Het.”

Colts center Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured player on the current roster, said Richardson “knows this is not the standard he has to meet and the rest of the team is holding him to it.”

The Colts (4-4) will now turn to Flacco, 39, who replaced the injured Richardson earlier this season and passed for 716 yards, 7 touchdowns and 1 interception in parts of three games.

Richardson is the second quarterback taken in the first round of last year’s draft to be benched this season. The Carolina Panthers drafted No. 1 selection Bryce Young for veteran Andy Dalton last month.