Shane Steichen didn't need an hourlong press conference to explain why he's making the change from Anthony Richardson to Joe Flacco.
It's simple: The Colts need to win football games in 2024, and he believes Flacco gives them the best chance to do so. The Colts coach confirmed on Wednesday that Flacco will start Sunday's prime-time game against the Vikings and will be their starting quarterback "going forward," meaning this isn't just a one-week swap with Richardson.
"It's a tough decision but I thought it was the best interest of our football team," Steichen said. "I feel like Joe gives us the best chance to win right now. With that being said, I'm not giving up on Anthony by any means, I'm really not. He's a young player with a ton of talent. He'll use this time to continue to develop and grow as a professional."
Richardson's NFL journey has seen a number of peaks and valleys in fewer than two full seasons since he was selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He started off on a hot streak as a rookie, looking like a new-age Cam Newton -- albeit with some accuracy issues -- before a shoulder injury ended his debut campaign after four starts. He showed some signs of rust in his return in 2024 before a Week 4 hip injury forced Flacco into action, and when Richardson returned from a two-week absence, his inconsistency as a passer limited the Colts' offense in the past two games.
Had Flacco not been inserted into the lineup for Richardson out of necessity, it's possible the Colts would continue proceeding with Richardson under center. But Flacco's production was impossible to ignore once Richardson returned, as Indianapolis' offense simply wasn't nearly as explosive or productive with Richardson as it had been with Flacco at the controls.
"I'm just looking at where we are at as a football team, sitting at .500 with a lot of football left," Steichen explained on Wednesday. "(I) feel like Joe gives us the best chance."
Some will point to Richardson tapping out for one play of Indianapolis' loss to the rival Houston Texans on Sunday as a sign of weakness or unreliability. He's received plenty of criticism for it, even if it's understandable that he was exhausted after throwing a 300-pound defender off his back before scrambling and firing a pass on the preceding play. Ultimately, though, no quarterback can be afforded such leeway in the results-dependent NFL, where everyone is playing hurt and/or tired.
"Regarding that play, I know I can't do that as a leader, especially as a quarterback of this team," Richardson said on Wednesday. "Especially as a football player in general, I can't just bring myself out of the game like that, especially in key moments like that. But you live and you learn. Just gotta grow from it."
Richardson's acknowledgement of his decision and the repercussions is a positive sign. So too was his admission he needed to be better for his teammates after the Colts grinded out an ugly win over the Dolphins in Week 7 in a game in which Richardson completed just 10 of 24 passes for 129 yards.
It's all part of a long-term process to establish himself as a franchise quarterback. The main issue now, though, is the Colts don't have a ton of time to spend on the future.
"Of course it hurts. As a competitor, definitely don't want to be told I'm not the guy anymore for the upcoming week," Richardson told reporters on Wendesday when asked about his benching. "It's all good. I'm using the moment as an opportunity to grow and learn from my mistakes."
Most individuals intimately familiar with the nuances of quarterback play will point to Richardson's mechanics as his biggest problem. Much like Buffalo's Josh Allen did early in his career, Richardson needs time to tune his mechanics -- which includes footwork -- in order to become a reliably productive passer. After being swept by the rival Texans, the 4-4 Colts don't have the luxury to focus on that right now, not with a playoff berth remaining a very real possibility.
"Obviously, it's a difficult thing but again it's my obligation to 53 guys in this organization to win football games," Steichen said. "Right now, I'm focused on the present of winning football games. We will get to the future when we get to the future."
In his relatively short time at the helm of the Colts, Steichen has earned the cachet to make such a call. After losing Richardson to injury early in 2023, Steichen kept Indianapolis competitive with veteran backup Gardner Minshew, so much that their playoff hopes weren't extinguished until the final game of the 2023 season, a loss to the AFC South champion Texans.
Steichen believes he has a better option right now in Flacco, who joined the Browns during the 2023 season and led them on a magical run to the playoffs last season when he threw for 1,616 yards and a 13-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio on his way to a 4-1 record as a starter. When Flacco has entered the action for the Colts this season, he has looked a whole lot like the quarterback who elevated Cleveland last season, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 716 yards and a 7-1 TD-INT ratio on his way to two wins in three appearances (two starts).
Flacco still has the arm talent and plenty of experience to get the job done. He's proven he can execute Steichen's offense at a relatively high level. With nine games left to play, now is the time to capitalize on whatever Flacco has left in the tank.
