Colts return Anthony Richardson as starting quarterback, Shane Steichen says

Anthony Richardson will return to serve as the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts beginning in this week’s game against the New York Jets, head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday.

According to Steichen, it will be Richardson’s job for the rest of the season.

Joe Flacco has been the team’s No. 1 prospect the past two weeks – losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills – but Steichen said Richardson has shown improvement in practice that warrants giving him another starting chance.

This decision comes two days after Steichen told reporters that Flacco would remain the starter even after he threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles in two games. Despite the veteran’s difficulties, Steichen was not ready to return to Richardson at that point.

Steichen said Wednesday that Flacco’s play played no role in the decision.

In six games this season, Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has struggled. He has thrown for 958 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions with a completion percentage of 44.4.

Flacco, meanwhile, was unable to replicate the success he had with the Cleveland Browns last season. In his six games, he has thrown for 1,167 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions and has a 65.5 completion percentage, but the Colts are 2-4 in the games he has played.

Entering Week 11, the Colts are 4-6 and in second place in the AFC South, two games behind the first-place Houston Texans and just outside the AFC playoffs.