OCTOBER 13: While Richardson will serve as the emergency No. 3 QB against the Titans in Week 6, Flacco will again operate as the starter. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Indianapolis simply wanted to give Richardson one more week to ensure that he is completely healthy.
Despite Flacco’s strong play, there is no quarterback controversy here; a source tells FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz that if today’s game were a playoff contest, Richardson would play.
OCTOBER 11: The Colts played last week without their starting quarterback and running back Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, and the team was in danger of facing the Titans this week without their top wide receiver, as well. Instead, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Indianapolis is on track to have two of those three players available in Week 6. 
The player who is definitely out this week is Taylor. The rusher showed star potential in his first two years on the team but has been limited due to injury ever since, missing at least six games in each of the past two seasons. Taylor was off to a strong start in 2024, averaging a touchdown per game while also averaging the most yards per game (87.3) since his incredible 2021 campaign.
In Taylor’s absence last week, the Colts ran with two running backs, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson, to cover the lost load. They only carried the ball 15 times between the two of them, totaling 64 yards and a touchdown, but both players benefitted from backup quarterback Joe Flacco‘s affinity for check downs, combining to catch all nine of their targets for an additional 56 yards. Should Richardson return this week, the focus may shift back to the run game, requiring much more of Sermon and Goodson.
Speaking of Richardson, Holder reports that the second-year passer is “preparing to return to the lineup.” The 22-year-old participated in the Colts’ last three practices this week, taking a majority of the first-team reps after watching Flacco take all of the first-team reps last week. Flacco had taken over for the injured starter partway through the Steelers matchup in Week 4, leading Indianapolis to a win over his former division-rival. In his spot start last week, Flacco went blow-for-blow against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in a shootout that saw him complete 75 percent of his passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns.
It may be a bit surprising to see Indianapolis go back to Richardson, who sports a 50.6 completion percentage on the season and has thrown only three touchdowns while leading the league with six interceptions. Based on the draft capital invested in Richardson and the fact that he was the quarterback working with the first-team offense all summer, it makes sense for the team to stick with him a bit longer as he gets healthy. If he continues to struggle running an NFL offense, though, the wily veteran, Flacco, sits patiently capable on the bench.
Lastly, Holder provided an update on top wideout Michael Pittman Jr. As he’s dealt with “a nagging back injury” to start the season, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Pittman was in danger of missing extended time for the time since his rookie year. All signs were pointing towards a stint on injured reserve for the veteran receiver, but it appears that he will instead tough it out and try to play through the injury.
The Colts’ receiving game has been dominated so far this season by Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. In theory the team has some untested depth at the position with rookie second-round pick Adonai Mitchell and veteran Ashton Dulin, but with Pittman playing through his injury, Indianapolis can continue to rely on their top three.
Senseless. Play Flacco. Operate a viable NFL offense. Let Richardson work on the myriad areas of his game that need improvement. Put him back in the lineup when he is ready to handle the entire playbook, not before then. That is the only hope they have of making that draft pick work. If he goes back in the lineup, you’re just waiting for him to flameout so you can do it all over again.
Flacco has played well but he was only intended as an emergency option. He isn’t mobile so he’s at high risk of injury himself behind that banged up Colts OL. I was hoping the Colts could find a way to retain Zack Moss who did a good job subbing for Taylor last season. Somehow they have to get a run game going to take the heat off whoever is playing QB. It would also be nice if they had some players on defense who could actually tackle.
I couldn’t agree more. Right now it looks like the Colts will be drafting a QB again in a year or 2.
Arch comes out in two years, so way to blow the surprise.
NO, REALLY, Richardson can’t hang in the NFL? Wow, and half of you harangued me for saying what a mistake it was drafting this goober. I watched him at Florida and he couldn’t hit a receiver to save his life, he loves those one bounce grass passes, couldn’t target anyone but the prime receiver (no checking down secondary and tertiary targets), and would run like a scared rabbit at the sight of his receivers being covered. He was as big a mistake in the first round as Tim Tebow,great guy, but not in the NFL. He’s not going to get better because he thinks he’s the best there is. He should have been a wife receiver, but Florida desperately needed a decent QB, but this guy wasn’t him.
And how exactly should the Colts have avoided this mistake? Draft Levis, Hooker or perhaps promote Sam Ehlinger to the top of the QB depth chart? The kid is still raw and learning and his skill set is far superior to anything Tebow had.
Not in college. Tim Tebow was a beast in college, this goober not so much. The Colts could have avoided taking a raw, undisciplined, knot head in the first round. Ryan Leaf was a great player in college, Akili Smith was too, Todd Marinovich, David Klingler, Jamarcus Russell,etc etc. Just because they have the raw talent doesn’t mean diddly squat. How could they have avoided this mistake? Hmmm, how about trade down and take another QB, package their number 1 for a number 1 the next year, traded for a QB, signed a free agent, or retained Gardner Minshew.No, there was nothing they could do except take him 4th overall. The owner needs to keep his face out of it and let the GM do his job, but that won’t happen in Indianapolis. Personally I think Hooker and Bennett would have been better selections, but that’s my opinion. Why are you so passionate about AR? Is he a relative?
Why are you so passionate about hating the guy? You call him a knot head but think they’d be better off taking Bennett, a guy who skipped the senior bowl and got arrested that week for drunken stupidity instead.
He’s still a better QB than Richardson. And young men never drink, do they?
Bennett is a much better all around QB than Richardson. He doesn’t run when his primary receiver is covered, he’ll stand in the pocket and survey his options. Richardson is a wide receiver masquerading as a QB. As far as being drunk, nobody in the NFL has ever gotten into trouble after drinking, have they?
Bennett had a better line and half a dozen high level NFL prospects as pass catchers. Richardson had one. A lot easier to survey your options. Bennett was also older by the time he became full blown starter at Georgia than Richardson is now.
Meanwhile, Bennett didn’t just get drunk, he got drunk and arrested at the same time he was blowing off one of his best possible opportunities to showcase himself as a serious prospect to the NFL. But you call the other guy a knothead.
Anyway, Richardson may be rawer in areas, but he has special traits, including rare arm talent, and Bennett doesn’t. Teams would rather try to draft Jordan Love than Mac Jones.
We can discuss this a year down the road when Richardson is either a 3rd string backup at Carolina or tries to convert himself into a wide receiver to stay in the league. It’s funny you defend him so vehemently, did you watch him play at Florida? I did, and the whole team was happy he left, that should tell you something about him. Ability means nothing if you don’t have the intelligence to go along with it.
Completely agreed. Anyone who watched Florida play in 22 knew Richardson was terrible. After his ill advised he is an hope after his first game, he was God awful. Florida fans even called for his benching because he couldn’t hit an open receiver to save his life, and would bail out of clean pockets early. We see what “potential” gets you half the time in the nfl these days in prospects, ala Zach Wilson.
I don’t get the rush to get him back in. Get A Rich fully healthy + some more time watching Flacco wouldn’t be the worst thing.
The guy has elite talent just look at his TD to Pierce week 1, only 1-2 other guys in the world can make that throw.
If it were a playoff game we’d start a worse quarterback. Makes sense.