Colts bench Joe Flacco, back to Anthony Richardson at QB

The Indianapolis Colts will return Anthony Richardson as their starting quarterback beginning with Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday.

Steichen said Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, will remain the starter for the remainder of the season.

The move comes two days after Steichen announced veteran Joe Flacco would start the game at MetLife Stadium.

Flacco started the Colts’ last two games in place of Richardson, and Indianapolis lost both. The 39-year-old Flacco had six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles) in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

The Colts (4-6) benched the 22-year-old Richardson in late October after a game against the Houston Texans, where he had asked to leave the game for a play because, as he later told reporters, ” “tired”.

Steichen said while he spoke with owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard, it was ultimately his decision to move Richardson back into the starting role.

“We made it very clear to him that he would be our starting quarterback in the future.”

Steichen also said he was pleased with what he saw from Richardson over the past two weeks.

“It’s the attention to detail in everything he does,” Steichen said. “It has to be a higher standard. He has made progress in those areas over the last two weeks.”

Field Level Media contributed to this report.