Quarterback Anthony Richardson will remain with the Indianapolis Colts.
One week after coach Shane Steichen benched the 2023 No. 4 pick in favor of 39-year-old Joe Flacco, rival NFL teams inquired about potentially trading for Richardson ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Those franchises were all met with the same response, per a league source: “Never.”
Despite Richardson’s struggles in Year 2 and his subsequent demotion, he remains a part of Indianapolis’ future, the source told The Athletic.
Quickly extinguishing any potential deals involving Richardson gave the Colts more time to focus on upgrading the rest of their roster. Or, it could have.
Perhaps Colts general manager Chris Ballard explored some trade options, but as is typical for the Colts at the NFL trade deadline — Ballard has only made one in-season trade during his eight-year tenure — nothing happened.
Instead, Ballard and his 4-5 Colts stood pat. No reinforcements aren’t coming.
Sound arguments can be made for why the Colts should’ve been buyers or sellers, but they find themselves in a tough spot given their situation at quarterback. On one hand, perhaps Indianapolis should’ve given up a few picks to upgrade some weak spots, including tight end, backup running back or even wide receiver — given that Michael Pittman Jr. is playing with a bad back — to support Flacco as the team’s new QB1.
But on the other hand, knowing that Flacco is on a one-year deal and the team could be faced with another franchise-altering decision at QB next spring, depending on how it handles Richardson, perhaps it was wise to hang on to future draft capital. Keep in mind that Steichen was asked directly if the plan is for Richardson to start again for the Colts, even if it’s next season, and he would not commit to that.
“I can’t predict the future,” Steichen said.
Regardless of the “what-ifs,” for now, the Colts must focus on what is. This is who they are and who they will be going forward as they try to make a playoff push on the heels of one of their worst offensive performances of the year. The Indianapolis offense managed just 227 total yards in a 21-13 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.
Steichen said right after the game that Flacco was his QB1 “right now,” perhaps cracking the door open for another quarterback change. However, he followed up Monday by saying that Flacco will remain the starter moving forward.
“It was one game that he went out there,” Steichen said when asked why he’s sticking with Flacco. “And again, we’ve got a lot of football left.”
Now that any more potential QB swaps have been put to bed, Steichen insisted that Flacco and the team must turn the page and prepare to bounce back against the Buffalo Bills. Left guard Quenton Nelson shared the same sentiment in a somber visiting locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium after his team’s second straight loss.
“What’s the other option?” the four-time All-Pro asked rhetorically. “Give up?”
Nelson claimed he must do a better job of ensuring Flacco has a clean pocket to operate from. That’s going to be a tougher task now without his longtime teammate, Ryan Kelly, whom the Colts placed on injured reserve. He’ll be replaced by rookie Tanor Bortolini.
Nelson also added that he supports Flacco unequivocally and still believes the QB can help this team get rolling.
In fairness to Flacco, who is 1-2 as the Colts’ starting QB this season, his poor performance against Minnesota stands in contrast to some some solid starts he’s delivered in recent years. The 39-year-old finished Sunday night’s game 16-of-27 passing for 179 yards against one interception. In his previous eight starts, however, Flacco had thrown at least two touchdowns, which was the longest active streak in the NFL.
Even when the Colts produced just 269 yards of total offense, their second-lowest output of the year, during Flacco’s start at Tennessee in Week 6, he came up clutch with a pinpoint TD pass to Pittman in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.
When you need a play, find MPJ.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/AbPFSi1LHH
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 13, 2024
“We’ve been with Joe since training camp, so we’ve all kind of built that chemistry,” said wide receiver Ashton Dulin, who couldn’t hold on to a crucial fourth-down pass from Flacco late in Sunday’s loss at Minnesota. “It’s just a matter of flipping it (on) when it comes down to the games and making those plays when they come to us.”
Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin snagged an interception that was one of his team’s season-high three takeaways against the Vikings. Although Indianapolis’ offense didn’t take advantage of the turnover, he said he’ll continue to put his faith in Flacco and his offensive counterparts because they’ve expressed that same belief in him and his unit.
“I don’t look at it like a whole mountain that you gotta climb in one day,” Franklin said of his team’s 4-5 record. “You just gotta take one step.”
(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
