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    • Ballard and Steichen meet the Colts QB
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    Ballard and Steichen meet the Colts QB

    Kathleen William Posted on

    INDIANAPOLIS — After quarterback Anthony Richardson said he wasn't entirely sure why he was benched for Joe Flacco this week, Colts leadership called a meeting to try to smooth some things over.

    General manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen met with Richardson for about half an hour to talk about the week and their decision to make such a game-changing change.

    “We had a really good conversation,” Steichen said. “Me and Chris sat with him for a while, about half an hour, and I'll keep that to myself.”

    The Colts made the decision Tuesday to draft Richardson, the No. 4 pick in last year's draft, after just 10 career starts. Steichen told him and Flacco in a meeting that they were making the change and that it was not a temporary move.

    Steichen publicly described the move as an attempt to give the Colts a better chance at the playoffs. The Colts are 4-4 and heading into the toughest stretch of their season with games against the Vikings, Bills and Lions over the next four weeks.

    Anthony Richardson on the bench: What Colts QB Anthony Richardson said about the bench

    But Steichen, Ballard and owner Jim Irsay have always told Richardson since his arrival that he would push through the adversity, as he needed reps after just 13 games at Florida, and reps were the way he was able to improve his accuracy. So the decision came as a surprise to Richardson and nearly every Colts player who has spoken out since.

    The right time came just two days after Richardson made a 3rd-and-goal from the 23-yard line because he said he was tired. Colts captains Ryan Kelly and DeForest Buckner then sat down with Richardson to explain the optics of this move and the standard they expected from their starting quarterback.

    Richardson was left to wonder whether this move resulted in him losing his starting role. His play has been erratic at times, with 44.4% completions, four touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. But the timing was also strange, having been told he wouldn't be benched because of his performance.

    MORE: “I was like, 'Wow'”: How the Colts found out Anthony Richardson was on the bench and their reaction

    “I’m not necessarily sure,” Richardson said. “They just told me the information. I just took it and ran with it.”

    The Colts hope to make the playoffs with Flacco, who filled in for the final five games with the Browns last season and won four starts as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, leading Cleveland to a wild-card appearance.

    They're hoping Richardson can learn something along the way by watching a 17-year veteran who's also a Super Bowl MVP, and they're hoping he can do it without losing confidence after a bench move.

    If he can get his job back and become the long-term starter the Colts originally envisioned, he would accomplish something no other first-round pick in NFL history has accomplished in recent memory.

    “I think he just needs to continue to develop and grow as a professional,” Steichen said. “And of course we just go through every little thing – all the little things, details, all those little things. “I mean, he's a young player. I think he's the second youngest player in the league at that position. Just keep evolving.”

    Statistics by Anthony Richardson

    Richardson has completed just 44.4% of his passes for 958 yards with 4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. His 16.2 yards per catch leads the NFL, but his quarterback rating is just 57.2.

    Anthony Richardson's injury history

    He missed the third game of his rookie season due to a concussion, then went on injured reserve and missed twelve games due to shoulder surgery. Richardson missed two games this season with an oblique injury.

    Anthony Richardson contract

    Anthony Richardson is in the second year of his four-year rookie contract. He counts $7.725 million against the Colts' salary cap this season. The 4-year contract is worth almost $34 million.

    Colts QB Anthony Richardson Age

    22. He will turn 23 on May 22, 2025.

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    Kathleen William
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