Shane Steichen benched Anthony Richardson following the Indianapolis Colts’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 8. The team has decided to start Joe Flacco, and he will be their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Richardson recently revealed that Steichen did not explain to him why he would not be starting anymore, which raised many eyebrows. Ahead of the Week 9 game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Colts’ head coach confirmed that he recently had a conversation with the 22-year-old quarterback, and general manager Chris Ballard was also present.
The Colts’ fans are not happy with how Steichen handled the situation, and they made sure to let him know about their frustration via social media.
Fans Call Out Shane Steichen for Late Communication With Anthony Richardson
The Colts head coach did not reveal the details of his conversation with Richardson. “We had a really good conversation,” Steichen said, as per Indy Star’s Nate Atkins. “Me and Chris sat down with him for a while, about a half hour, and I’ll keep that private.”
They're both trying to not get fired?
— Leah (@leah_bh) November 1, 2024
“Only did it because he told the media they didn’t tell him s**t. Terrible way to do this,” said one fan.
“If this was performance related, why did it have to be 45mins and have the dog s**t Colts GM there?” said another fan.
If the benching is truly "performance related" you don't need 45 minutes or the GM to be there. https://t.co/1y6qY62y1w
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 1, 2024
“Steichen has really surprised me. Thought he was legit. Turns out he’s just another goober,” wrote another fan.
“How about he sits down with the f***ing media and explains it to us,” wrote a fan.
The way the Colts brass have handled this whole thing is disgusting. Why not have that discussion when you were telling him you’re benching him? https://t.co/g4rgZRSuZl
— CLew 🏈🏀⚾️🥊 (@droppedballspod) November 1, 2024
The Colts drafted Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and since the start, everyone knew that the quarterback was a project. The franchise knew that there would be growing pains with Richardson, but they have pulled the plug on the experiment after just eight games this year.
Flacco indeed gives the Colts the best chance to win games, but can he lead them to a Super Bowl? Perhaps, most of us will think that’s quite unrealistic. All signs point to the franchise pressuring Steichen into winning games in his second season with the team, which is why the head coach had to bench Richardson.
General manager Ballard is into his eighth season with the franchise, and he is under immense pressure. During his tenure, the team has a record of 58-64 and has made the playoffs only twice. If this season also ends in a failure for the team with Richardson sitting on the bench, owner Jim Irsay could fire Ballard.
Alec Pierce Talks About Richardson’s Future
Colts wideout Alec Pierce has had a productive season for the team. In eight games, he has 16 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns on 30 targets. He is averaging an impressive 24.6 yards per reception. Pierce talked about Richardson’s future in the NFL and was sure that this experience would make the second-year quarterback a better player.
“He’s gonna play in the league for a long time,” Pierce said, as per James Boyd on X. “Just take it as a chance to sit back and kind of learn. … It’s obviously frustrating, but I think he understands it’s part of his journey. And it’s gonna make him greater in the end.”
Richardson currently ranks last in the league in completion percentage, as he has completed just 44.4% of his throws. The Florida product also has a poor touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4-7, and he can utilize the rest of the season by learning behind a good veteran like Flacco.
Hopefully, he’ll be the Colts starter in Week 1 next season as the fans of the team, and people around the league still believe he has the potential to become a superstar in the NFL.