Anthony Richardson

AFC South Notes: Colts, Harris, Jaguars

December 3rd, 2024 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Given a historically quick hook based on his draft status, Anthony Richardson has continued to struggle as a passer upon being reinserted into the Colts‘ lineup. He has only bumped his completion percentage up to 47.5, remaining on pace to become just the seventh QB to finish south of 50% (min. 200 attempts) this century. Still, Richardson has guided Indianapolis to two wins since returning.

The benching also came partially because of Richardson’s preparation issues. Adding more on that, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder indicates the Colts believed their quarterback needed to invest more time into his job. This was a bigger organizational concern than Richardson’s accuracy issues, Holder notes. The benching provided a wakeup call, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and Richardson’s literal wakeup calls have come earlier since. The QB, per Holder, is believed to be showing up at the facility around 5:30am to begin preparation.

Richardson may not be out of the woods yet regarding assurances the Colts stick with him in 2025. While the benching certainly garnered his attention, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the quarterback may well be tied to the fates of GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen. It would seem a bit unlikely Jim Irsay would fire Steichen if the team misses the playoffs, but Ballard is in Year 8 and would be 2-for-8 in postseason berths if the 6-7 Colts miss out this season. This nugget would point to a new GM not being tied to Richardson, which would place the raw talent on shakier ground. The Ballard-Steichen-Richardson trio still has four games to prove it deserves a third season together.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Richardson may soon have a Pro Bowl center snapping to him once again. Steichen said (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) Ryan Kelly will have a good chance of returning to practice before the Colts’ Week 15 game against the Broncos. Kelly landed on IR due to a knee injury, one that was not expected to be season-ending. With Kelly playing out an extension he signed in 2020, this Colts homestretch will be pivotal to his 2025 market. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler who would be a free agent — barring a deal before the legal tampering period — ahead of an age-32 season. The Colts have been a retention-heavy team under Ballard, but they have seen fourth-round rookie Tanor Bortolini hold his own in Kelly’s stead.
Staying on the subject of IR returns, the Texans have been without linebacker Christian Harris all season. The AFC South leaders placed Harris on IR with a return designation August 27, devoting one of their injury activations to the third-year defender in advance. Harris, however, has lingered on IR (with a calf injury) since. But GM Nick Caserio pointed to a near-future return. Harris has not seen his practice window opened, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds that is likely to happen soon. With Azeez Al-Shaair appealing a three-game suspension, Houston could certainly use Harris — a 23-game starter from 2022-23 — back in action.
Doug Pederson is following in Ron Rivera‘s footsteps as a second-chance HC playing out the string. The Jaguars are all but certain to fire the former Super Bowl-winning coach at season’s end. This will leave Pederson’s staff in limbo, and one of the staffers — running backs coach Jerry Mack — is getting out early. Kennesaw State hired Mack as head coach, the school announced. A former HC at North Carolina Central and RBs coach at Tennessee, Mack spent nearly 20 years in the college ranks before joining Pederson’s staff this year. The 44-year-old assistant will return to the college ranks months after arriving in Jacksonville.

Colts Turning Back To Anthony Richardson At QB

November 13th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts’ pivot to Joe Flacco did not produce the kind of results the team hoped for, and the veteran is heading back to the bench. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson developmental effort is shifting back to on-field duty.

Although the Colts had demoted Richardson due to on-field and preparation concerns, they are reversing course. Richardson will start in Week 11, per Shane Steichen. Doubling down here, Steichen classified this change as a long-term switch by indicating Richardson will carry the keys for the rest of the season.

Steichen said Sunday he was not planning to turn back to Richardson, whose accuracy concerns had restrained the Colts’ offense. Like Dave Canales did during his initial Bryce Young-for-Andy Dalton change, Steichen reversed course days later. It will be Richardson, who is tied to a 44% completion rate, against the Jets in Week 11.

Richardson had arrived in Indiana as a hopeful savior for a Colts team that had kept shifting to different veterans following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. Instead, the unseasoned Florida product showed concerning flaws after entering the NFL with one season — a highly inaccurate one, at that — of college starting experience. The Colts had been insistent they would keep Richardson in the lineup, but his decision to leave the field for a play against the Texans catalyzed a benching themed around Flacco giving the 2024 roster a better chance to win. The yo-yoing with Richardson will continue now that Flacco has not recaptured his form from his 2023 Comeback Player of the Year season.

Trade interest came in for Richardson, as it did Young, before last week’s deadline. As expected, the Colts passed. But Steichen’s previous comments painted a cloudy picture for the former No. 4 overall pick. Now, the Colts — at 4-6 — will move their season back toward a Richardson developmental project. Although fantasy GMs rostering Colts wide receivers may not be a fan of this development, Richardson certainly needs more playing time after entering the NFL as a one-year Gators starter and missing most of his rookie season due to a shoulder injury.

Richardson’s 44.4% completion number ranks as the fifth-worst mark through six games this century, and although the QB’s 7.2 yards per attempt is not at a basement level, the dual threat’s occasional deep-ball success was not enough to keep him in the lineup in Week 9. But Flacco threw three INTs against the Bills and did not lead the Colts into the Vikings’ red zone a week prior. The 17th-year veteran will shift back to a relief role.

If the Colts stick with their QB plan this time around, they should be able to make a better determination of Richardson’s 2025 status. The team had viewed Richardson’s preparation issues as a bigger concern than his on-field struggles, further calling into question the team’s plan to give him the QB1 gig back so soon. It is possible the team will need to shop for another starter next year, as the Panthers might. Considering where the Colts’ busy offseasons at QB since Luck abruptly left in August 2019, that would not be a welcome development. As such, Richardson making progress will be vital to the Colts’ blueprint.

Richardson, who did complete 59.5% of his passes in limited duty last season, may well need to show notable improvement from his first-half form to keep GM Chris Ballard in place due to the investment made in the raw passer. This switch back to Richardson may well put the Colts’ 2024 contention prospects secondary to long-term development — in an AFC already featuring a somewhat thin wild-card race — but Flacco’s struggles were not justifying Steichen’s previous QB call. Richardson’s form will now be the central Colts storyline for the season’s final seven games.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Levis, Texans

November 4th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Richardson‘s on-field work this season created an untenable setup for the Colts, who benched their starting quarterback for 39-year-old Joe Flacco. While the Colts are not giving up on Richardson — even as rebounds from early-career benchings are less common than those leading to downward tumbles — the second-year passer will also need to adjust his preparation. The Colts want to see Richardson improve in that area, with ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder going as far as indicating the former No. 4 overall pick’s pregame prep and lack of proper awareness of his job’s importance represented a bigger reason for the benching compared to the in-game performances.

Richardson taking the unusual step to sub himself out midway through a drive became a flashpoint for the Colts, who viewed the decision in Houston as the “last straw.” It is not too surprising to see Richardson struggle with preparation, seeing as he was a one-year Florida starter who entered the draft as a raw prospect. The Colts took a gamble on a player who would not have fallen much farther in that draft, but the team that has been unable to find QB stability post-Andrew Luck is in a holding pattern now. Flacco did not produce much Sunday night in Minnesota, but Indianapolis’ adjusted plan to play the veteran and develop the rookie is still a go for Week 10.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Xavier Worthy is the last man standing among the Chiefs’ Week 1 WR trio, but the Colts were connected to the former Texas Longhorns speedster in Round 1. After hosting Worthy on a “30” visit and then being connected to them shortly before the draft, the eventual Kansas City resident confirmed he spoke with the Colts during Day 1 of the draft. Worthy said the call with the Colts ended abruptly, telling Rich Eisen the Indy representative hung up on him. The Colts had made offers to trade up for a pass catcher but ended the defensive drought to open the draft by selecting EDGE Laiatu Latu at No. 15. Worthy went to the Chiefs, via a trade with the Bills, at No. 28. The Colts circled back to their WR aim by drafting Worthy college teammate Adonai Mitchell in Round 2.
The Titans are hopeful Will Levis returns for Week 10, Brian Callahan said Monday. Levis returned the game after his shoulder injury but was subsequently parked to go through rehab. Tennessee has turned to Mason Rudolph over the past three games but plans to reinstall Levis as the starter, despite his early-season miscues, once he recovers.
The Texans became the latest team to work out La’el Collins, doing so today. Houston also brought in Tremayne Anchrum and Ike Boettger, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with Anchrum signing to the team’s practice squad. The Texans placed Kenyon Green on IR with another shoulder injury last week. Collins, now 31, has been in free agency since failing to make the Bills’ 53-man roster in training camp. The former Cowboys and Bengals RT starter has not played in a regular-season game since sustaining ACL and MCL tears in Week 16 of the 2022 season.

Colts Unlikely To Trade Anthony Richardson

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Anthony Richardson has not had the smoothest start to his NFL career. After a recent benching in favor of veteran backup Joe Flacco, many teams have reportedly reached out to Indianapolis in hopes of acquiring the 22-year-old passer. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, “a trade is considered unlikely.”

There are several factors that contributed to the benching of Richardson. League-low completion percentages on passes when not pressured, under pressure, not blitzed, blitzed, and to open targets have brought many questions concerning his ability as a passer to the surface. Additionally, there has been a continuation of draft concerns over his medical history after seeing him miss all but four games his rookie season and miss two games this year with injury.

The Colts’ decision to move forward with Flacco as the team’s starter could be for two reasons: they believe Flacco provides them the best chance to win games this year or they did not want to force Richardson to continue broadcasting his struggles on national television. Regardless, an admission to tapping out of last week’s game due to exhaustion was viewed as a “last straw” for the Colts, ultimately leading Richardson to the bench.

While protecting the feelings of a quarterback may seem like an unsatisfactory reasoning, it’s something we’ve seen in the NFL before. For rookies, franchises want to build confidence in their young passers, getting them snaps early to help acquaint them with the speed of the pro game. Sometimes, when a young quarterback is struggling in a game and the team is down bad, we see the backup come in. This serves the purpose of keeping the younger passer healthy, while protecting his confidence from getting broken by a team that has already gotten the better of him.

Similarly, some pundits, like Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, assert that the Colts could be protecting Richardson from a potential disastrous matchup with the Vikings on a national stage for Sunday Night Football tonight. If they truly don’t want to give up on Richardson as the future of their franchise, they may have a vested interest in keeping his confidence high by avoiding tough matchups.

It does seem, too, that the Colts have not given up on Richardson’s long-term development. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, in a meeting with team brass, Richardson was given examples like Jordan Love and Alex Smith — quarterbacks who found their stride in the NFL after years. His team hasn’t given up on him either as offensive and defensive captains, guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, both expressed views that the locker room believes in Richardson’s development moving forward, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder.

Around the league, many other team executives are calling the Colts’ decision-making into question. Some are using hindsight to say the right decision would’ve been to keep Richardson on the bench as a rookie, not rushing him onto the field and allowing him to develop on the bench, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Others are pointing out that, while playing Flacco may give them a better chance to win right now, benching Richardson is short-sighted when considering future seasons.

This seems to be a microcosm of a bigger issue in the NFL with quarterback development. Along with Bryce Young in Carolina, Richardson is the second top 2023-drafted quarterback to get benched this season for a seasoned veteran. Especially as veteran quarterbacks who faltered early in their careers, like Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and even Justin Fields, find success in more fitting systems after years of development, we’re starting to see a return to thinking in the NFL that perhaps it’s best for rookies to sit and learn.

For now, that seems to be the intention in Indianapolis. The grizzled veteran Flacco is set to take the reins of the offense tonight. Richardson will have an opportunity to get fully healthy while watching and learning from a Super Bowl winning quarterback who has worked with five different teams in his career. This benching shouldn’t be perceived as the end of Richardson’s opportunity as a starter. Many believe that he will take his place with a first-team offense under center again at some point in time, and there are still some who believe that it will occur in Indianapolis.

Shane Steichen Addresses Colts’ Anthony Richardson Benching

October 30th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

It is not especially common for a highly drafted quarterback to be benched and then resurface as a long-term starter with that team, but two players from the 2023 draft are attempting such climbs anyway. Anthony Richardson has followed Bryce Young in being benched during the first half of his second season.

Like the Panthers’ Young benching, this is not viewed as a temporary reset that will assure Richardson of a path back into the lineup this season. Shane Steichen confirmed Wednesday (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) that Joe Flacco is the team’s starter going forward.

Unlike the Jets’ 2022 Zach Wilson benching, Richardson will only drop to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Steichen confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) the 2023 No. 4 overall pick will be Flacco’s top backup in Week 9. While Steichen said on multiple occasions Flacco is the team’s QB from this point on, the Colts are not giving up on Richardson in the long term. While Steichen had said Richardson playing was his best route to development, the Indy HC is backtracking on that now.

“I know I said that,” Steichen said, via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. “Things change. So I think right now, sitting back and seeing a veteran that’s done it at a high level for a long time, you can develop that way as well

“… It’s a difficult thing. But it’s my obligation to the 53 guys in this organization to win football games, and right now, I’m focused on the present: winning football games. We’ll get to the future when we have to get to the future.”

Given Richardson’s woeful work in the passing game this season and his highly unusual move to take himself out of the Colts’ Week 8 game for a play due to fatigue — a decision that has brought tremendous backlash — the Colts made a predictable call. Richardson’s 44.4% completion rate this season is 15 points down from his 2023 showing and doubles as the fifth-lowest mark through six games in the 21st century. For a second straight year, Flacco will step in as an emergency backup for a fringe playoff contender.

This will be a fine line for the Colts to walk, as Richardson is signed through 2026 but has seen the team that drafted him already bail on its initial experiment. The Colts turned to Richardson after several Flacco-like retreads did not provide stability. Philip Rivers was the best of that bunch, but the Colts rostered the potential Hall of Famer in his final season. Beyond Rivers, the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan worked as Week 1 starters following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. The Colts turned to Gardner Minshew last season, and while they wanted to re-sign the veteran, the Raiders’ offer (two years, $25MM) came in well north of where Indy was comfortable spending on a backup.

Minshew’s insertion into Indianapolis’ starting lineup provided a boost to the team’s passing game, with Michael Pittman Jr. establishing career-high marks en route to an offseason extension. Flacco, who replaced Deshaun Watson and formed immediate connections with Amari Cooper and David Njoku last season, stands to be a better option to deliver on-target passes to the likes of Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell. Steichen selling this to his locker room is easier than continuing to trot out Richardson, who has not developed the way the organization had hoped.

Flacco boasts an 8-to-1 TD-INT ratio this season and threw for 359 yards in one of his two starts as a Colt, but he is 39 and signed to a one-year, $4MM deal. The Colts were the only team to offer him a contract this offseason, despite his Comeback Player of the Year season occurring in Cleveland — where the former Super Bowl MVP wanted to stay. Flacco’s role will be to attempt to help a 4-4 Indy squad to the playoffs, but Richardson’s long-term status remains the more interesting part of this equation.

Young is viewed as a potential 2025 trade candidate. Considering the Colts’ issues finding a long-term QB post-Luck, it stands to reason Richardson will have another chance. The team drafted Richardson as a raw prospect, one whose lone college starter season produced a 53.8% completion rate, and has only seen him start 10 games. Through that lens, this represents a quick hook, but as the Colts compete for the playoffs, they will shift Richardson’s development into the background.

Although players like Phil Simms, Alex Smith and Drew Brees managed to overcome early-career benchings en route to long starter runs — the latter two, however, did not become surefire long-term options until leaving their initial clubs — there are not many examples of the same franchise circling back to a QB it benched. Richardson’s unique profile should still give him a chance to buck the trend, but he has a long way to go. Rumors about his future figure to swirl between now and the Colts’ 2025 offseason program.

Colts To Start Joe Flacco In Week 9

October 29th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Colts head coach Shane Steichen left the door open to a quarterback change, the team is indeed taking that route. Joe Flacco will get the nod over Anthony Richardson in Week 9, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.

Flacco has already made four appearances and a pair of starts this season, but this will mark the first time in which he sees action while Richardson is healthy. The latter has struggled with accuracy issues during the 2024 season, one in which expectations were high for a notable step forward. Richardson also drew criticism for his decision to pull himself from the game in Week 8, something which was addressed by the team yesterday.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Steichen said Richardson temporarily remained atop the QB depth chart while adding an evaluation would be needed before naming a starter for the next contest. That process has now taken place, with Flacco getting the nod. The 39-year-old will take over on offense as the 4-4 Colts look to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Flacco’s NFL future was very much in doubt until the midway point of last season, when he took a depth role with the Browns. In short order, he found himself in place as Cleveland’s starter and helped guide the team to the postseason. The former Super Bowl MVP preferred to remain in place, but the team looked elsewhere for depth options under center. With Gardner Minshew pricing himself out of Indy, the Colts became the only team to make Flacco an offer.

Whereas Richardson has struggled to find consistent accuracy in 2024, Flacco has managed a completion percentage of 65.7% while throwing seven touchdowns (against just one interception). Avoiding turnovers – something which was an issue with Cleveland last year – will be key moving forward as the Colts’ offense looks for stability. Of course, Flacco does not offer Richardson’s rushing upside, but the return of running back Jonathan Taylor should help compensate for that.

Selected fourth overall last year, Richardson was understood to be a long-term developmental project after a college career which did not include many starts. Injuries limited the Florida product to just six games during his rookie campaign, and an oblique ailment cost him time this year. In all, Richardson has just 10 regular season starts to his name. After committing to a trial-by-fire approach with the 22-year-old, Steichen hinted the Colts may change their philosophy moving forward. That has certainly proven to be the case, and he will now be sidelined as Flacco (a pending free agent) takes over.

Colts Evaluating Anthony Richardson’s Place In Starting Lineup

October 28th, 2024 at 10:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Richardson threw 22 incompletions Sunday and took the rare step of asking out of a game due to fatigue. Viewed as a developmental player with a high ceiling, Richardson has not shown consistency since debuting in Week 1 of last season.

The Colts saw the 2023 No. 4 overall pick complete 10 of 32 passes (including 2-for-15 in the first half) against the Texans, and while they only lost to the AFC South leaders by three points, they have not seen Richardson make strides in Year 2. Richardson did not benefit much from his rookie year, seeing a shoulder injury end his season early, but the Colts are at least a wild-card contender in the AFC tied to an unreliable quarterback.

As it stands, Shane Steichen said Richardson remains Indianapolis’ starter. But the second-year Colts HC, responding to a question about Richardson’s Week 9 status, said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) the team is “evaluating everything.” The Colts have Joe Flacco in place as their backup and used the 39-year-old veteran in two starts while Richardson rehabbed an oblique injury. The Colts kept Richardson in their lineup after struggles before his oblique issue; they appear to be giving stronger consideration to taking the other route now.

For the season, Richardson has completed an astonishing 44.4% of his passes. That is the fifth-lowest number through six games since 2000, per ESPN Stats and Info. Richardson was at 59.5% before going down last season. The Florida product is still 3-3 as a starter who has averaged 7.2 yards per attempt, but he ranks 27th in QBR and last among qualified options in passer rating. Flacco has completed 65.7% of his throws while filling in this season, throwing seven touchdown passes compared to one interception.

Richardson exited Week 8 with a 4-to-7 TD-INT ratio. The highly touted prospect has 242 rushing yards but has completed 10 or fewer passes in four of the five games he finished this season, significantly hindering Indianapolis’ offense. Both Steichen and center Ryan Kelly spoke to the QB after his decision to tap out for a play following a scramble in Houston. It would stand to reason that will be factored into Steichen’s Richardson-or-Flacco decision for Week 9.

“We had a conversation about it this morning in the quarterback room, which I’ll keep private,” Steichen said. “But, obviously, in those situations he knows on those type of deals, you can’t take yourself out and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”

Still just 22, Richardson came to Indianapolis after starting one season at Florida. While dazzling at the 2023 Combine, the 6-foot-4, 244-pound passer also struggled with accuracy with the Gators. He completed less than 54% of his throws during the 2022 season. The Colts will need to balance Richardson’s long-term development with a chance to make the playoffs. Steichen had previously said Richardson needed playing time to improve. The former Eagles OC stepped back a bit from that stance Monday.

“I think it could go either way,” Steichen said of a quarterback developing by playing or observing. “There’s certain [teams] that throw guys into the fire early and there’s other guys that let them sit back and watch. Like I’ve said before, the more you play, the more you learn at that position. But is there a benefit sometimes in sitting back and watching it? Yeah, of course there is.”

The fact that the Colts went from 2017-23 with seven different Week 1 starting QBs — tied for the second-longest stretch since the 1970 merger — and cycled through veterans post-Andrew Luck will undoubtedly factor into their decision as well, but Richardson is officially on notice. The Colts would be unlikely to go through with a benching that leaves Richardson’s long-term future in doubt, as the Panthers did with Bryce Young, but they would need to walk a fine line if they sit their prospect midway through his second season.

Colts’ Anthony Richardson To Return In Week 7; Jonathan Taylor Remains Out

October 18th, 2024 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOTBER 18: Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Friday Richardson will indeed suit up on Sunday. Taylor’s ankle injury will cost him a third straight game, so plenty of rushing responsibilities could rest on the second-year quarterback immediately upon returning to action.

OCTOBER 17: Joe Flacco has handled starting quarterback duties for the Colts over the past two games. That will likely change in Week 7, however.

Anthony Richardson is expected to return to action this week, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports (video link). Last year’s No. 4 pick suffered his most recent injury in Week 4, prompting Flacco to take over in his place. The 39-year-old helped lead the Colts to wins in two out of his three appearances, but as Wolfe notes the team’s intention is to return Richardson to the lineup at the first opportunity to do so.

An oblique injury has kept the 22-year-old out of action recently, marking another interruption in his NFL development. Known to be a raw prospect coming out of college, Richardson immediately handled first-team duties during his rookie season. That campaign was cut short by shoulder surgery, and further missed time is the situation team and player obviously wanted to avoid. If he can remain healthy moving forward, though, a Year 2 jump in production could again be possible.

Sitting at 3-3 on the year, the Colts sit mid-pack in a number of offensive categories this year (although they rank last in time of possession). A healthy Richardson could help in several areas, and his mobility will be key to the team’s rushing attack. That will especially remain true if running back Jonathan Taylor is forced to sit out once again in Week 7. Taylor was absent from practice yesterday and again today, casting doubt on the status of his ankle rehab.

Richardson, by contrast, has been a full practice participant over each of the past two days. Barring any setbacks, therefore, he should be in action against the Dolphins on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how effective the Florida product is upon return and whether or not he will be able to avoid any further setbacks on the injury front for the remainder of the campaign.

Colts QB Joe Flacco To Start In Week 6

October 13th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Ely Allen

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.

QB Rumors: Rodgers, Colts, Maye, Williams

October 10th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has now seen the offensive coordinator he has long backed, Nathaniel Hackett, stripped of play-calling duties. Interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich said Thursday the future Hall of Fame QB took his friend’s demotion in stride, calling Rodgers “supportive” of the choice, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Ulbrich said he talked to Rodgers and Jets offensive and defensive players before making that call. Hackett had begun to lose support in the locker room, and Robert Saleh was on the verge of either firing him or going through with the demotion Ulbrich ultimately carried out.

As for Rodgers’ role in Saleh’s firing, the quarterback vehemently denied complicity. Calling accusations he played a role in Saleh’s ouster “patently false,” Rodgers confirmed during his Pat McAfee Show appearance Woody Johnson‘s account the two talked Monday night. Seeing as the owner fired Saleh the next morning, it is a somewhat difficult sell that this topic never came up during the QB-owner conversation. However, Rodgers said (via Cimini) he and the longtime Jets owner discussed his ankle injury. Rodgers has been battling a low ankle sprain, playing through the malady. Also calling Saleh one of the reasons he delayed retirement to play for the Jets, Rodgers will now move forward with Todd Downing calling the shots and Hackett in an unspecified role.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

Giving Drake Maye first-team reps in training camp and during the season, the Patriots have now moved the No. 3 overall pick into the lineup. This comes after Jacoby Brissett has struggled in his season back in New England. The bridge quarterback ranks 28th in QBR but is playing with a bottom-end skill-position group and behind an O-line featuring key injuries. Still, the pivot to Maye — earlier than some anticipated — does not come as a knee-jerk reaction to Brissett’s performance against the Dolphins, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes. OC Alex Van Pelt had also said the team delaying Maye’s debut also had nothing to do with the current O-line composition. This Pats ramp-up period will be tested in Week 6, as Maye takes over against a 4-1 Texans team.
Anthony Richardson did not qualify as a game-time decision last week, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who indicates the second-year Colts QB was unable to move on the level he normally can. That led to Indianapolis downgrading its starter to doubtful the day before its Week 5 game. Optimism exists, based on “significant improvement” in his oblique rehab Richardson can go in Week 6. Richardson getting in a limited practice represents a good sign for his availability Sunday, though eyes will be on this situation after Joe Flacco proved more capable of moving the offense after early-season Richardson accuracy issues.
Concerns about Carl Williams’ involvement in his son Caleb‘s career have followed the former Heisman-winning passer, but the Bears received a positive report from now-Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury as they prepared for the draft. In discussing Caleb with Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus pre-draft, the recent USC QBs coach said he only saw Carl once at the Trojans’ practice facility, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, illustrating a more hands-off approach — at least, compared to public perception — from the prized prospect’s father. Carl Williams had made comments about his son having “two bites at the apple” regarding the NFL, inviting speculation the QB could return to school if he did not view the team with the No. 1 overall pick as a good fit. Caleb’s camp then tried to secure a no-franchise tag clause in his rookie deal — an unprecedented play the Bears shot down — and angled to be paid as an LLC for tax purposes. This invites some potential long-term issues for the Bears, but for now, the top pick’s development is their lone focus.

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