Why the Colts benching Richardson doesn't make any sense

It took 10 games for the Colts to decide they've seen enough of Anthony Richardson. At least for now.

Indianapolis responded to the sophomore quarterback's latest stinker - a 10-for-32 showing in a narrow loss to the Texans - by announcing Joe Flacco is taking over as the starter "going forward." This probably isn't a brief reset, in other words.

On one hand, it's easy to see why the Colts felt the need to make a change. Richardson's completing a putrid 44.4% of his passes across six starts this season, the worst rate from a QB with 100-plus pass attempts since Josh Freeman in 2013. Jacoby Brissett holds the second-lowest mark in the league this season at 59.1%.

Indy's offense operated at a much more consistent level in Flacco's three appearances this year, with the 17-year veteran completing passes at a 65.7% clip while posting a 7-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Richardson's thrown only four touchdowns to seven picks in comparison.

That's the rationale. And clear as it may be, none of it justifies the move. Not when you're trying to build a sustained winner.

It's tough to imagine the ceiling for the 2024 Colts with a 39-year-old Flacco being any higher than abbreviated playoff appearance. If all of this leads to a Wild Card Weekend beatdown in Buffalo or Baltimore, what exactly is accomplished in the long view? Another playoff participation banner?

The Colts should have understood better than anyone that Richardson would need time to realize his potential. Remember, we're talking about a QB prospect who made the jump to the NFL after only 13 starts in college. Unicorn-like physical skills were more than enough to make Indy overlook his lack of experience, but live reps were always going to be essential to help him work through accuracy, timing, and decision-making issues.

He can't be expected to do that watching from the sidelines, and Flacco stepping into the starting role means there likely won't be any first-team practice reps for Richardson, either.

The Colts will continue to say they believe in Richardson and that sending him to the bench doesn't mean they're giving up on him. Maybe that's true. But benching him after 10 games has the potential to sabotage his development.

If you're willing to look beyond the numbers and truly assess what we're seeing on Sundays, all the raw traits of a high-level quarterback are still readily apparent. Richardson's arm talent remains as good as it gets. His pocket management is miles better than most passers with such limited experience. He also has the athleticism to create outside of structure, an essential skill for top QB play in today's game.

Truth is, we're probably not even having this discussion if Richardson's receivers didn't let him down on several occasions against Houston when he was accurate with the ball. Instead, he pulled himself from the game for a quick breather - a quarterback faux pas he surely won't make again - and that ends up seeming like a factor in his benching.

If you can't get past the disappointing stats, fair enough. They're very bad! But it's worth remembering that there's another quarterback - in this very same mold, no less - who overcame an oddly similar start to become one of the best on the planet:

(Stats source: TruMedia)

I'm not saying Richardson will ever be Josh Allen. The Bills star is the exception and not the rule when it comes to players going from early-career disaster to certified elite QB. Those are unfair expectations to put on anyone.

But Richardson's path to success was always going to look a lot like Allen's. While there are plenty of examples of young passers who clearly didn't have it from the jump, forcing their teams to pivot in short order, Richardson doesn't yet fall into that category. Not by a long shot.

Teams should be more willing to weather early struggles if a QB demonstrates the traits of a true difference-maker, unrefined as they may be. The long-term payoff is the reason you draft these players where you do.

We've seen that play out over the last five years with the Bills, who've become a perennial Super Bowl contender on the back of an elite quarterback. Meanwhile, the Colts seem intent on showing us how things could have turned out if Buffalo gave up when times weren't so great.

There's no use taking a home-run swing if you're not committed to seeing it through.