When Joe Flacco entered free agency, fresh off a stunning playoff run with the Browns at the age of 39, his agent reached out to all the QB-needy teams.
And in March, as always, there were many.
Yet even after a resurgent performance, taking Cleveland to a wild-card berth after Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury, Flacco generated just a sliver more interest than the previous year. In 2023 it was none. In 2024?
The reigning AP Comeback Player of the Year generated a grand total of ... one offer. That was from the Colts, who signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million with a base value of $4.5 million. That's it.
Joe Linta, who has represented the former Super Bowl MVP his entire career, received seven direct answers of "No," one team who said, "We'll see," and the rest non-responses, according to Linta. That one offer has paid off.
Once again, Flacco is a starter in the NFL, leading the Colts into Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings. It all comes after a tumultuous and consequential week for Indy, as head coach Shane Steichen benched former first-round pick Anthony Richardson for ineffectiveness and installed Flacco as the starter.
Richardson is now the second top QB pick from the 2023 draft benched this season. The Panthers benched Bryce Young after just the second game of the season, only to reinstall him as the starter after veteran Andy Daltoninjured his thumb in a car crash last month. Young is starting again on Sunday even though Dalton is off the injury report, as the organization believed in September that Young would be back under center this season.
Steichen said on Wednesday that Flacco was the team's starter "going forward," and sources say there is a real chance, barring injury, that Flacco starts for the remainder of the season. But following this year, sources say, the Colts have no plans to give up on Richardson. They believe he has a bright future and hope that he grows amid adversity.
There is still belief that he'll be a starter again in the NFL, and in fact, when Colts brass met with him this week, sources say, the examples referenced were several QBs who took years to find their form -- including Jordan Love and Alex Smith.
Could that be Richardson? He has the talent to do so.
While this past week was no doubt brutal for him, the Colts have already seen signs in practice -- based on his preparation and attention to detail -- that he's begun doing things differently. That he's been preparing like a starter must.
"It lit a fire under him" is how one source termed the benching. If that's the case, that's a great outcome for the Colts. Many members of the organization still hold out hope Richardson can be the player Indianapolis drafted him to be with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
After a woeful performance against the Texans last week, earning a passer rating of just 48.3, Richardson hit rock bottom. Unlike last year, when he flashed potential then was robbed of playing time due to injury, the decision to sideline Richardson was simply a coaching one.
"It's my obligation to 53 players in the locker room to win football games," Steichen told reporters on Wednesday.
No one questions Richardson's talent. But after he asked out for one play during their Week 8 loss to the Texans, and based on the way he's prepared for starts in the past, they want more, sources say.
Steichen said Wednesday the tap out was not a factor in Richardson's benching.
One thing was clear, as several sources pointed out: While players went on the record in support of Richardson, several did so believing that he was not the best answer for their current team. Flacco has played too well in relief (716 yards, seven TDs and one INT in four appearances).
One team source, describing Flacco's performance, said the main reason for this move is because Flacco has played at such a high level.
Several sources with knowledge of the thinking of Colts players say they believe this choice was the right one. They wanted Flacco to be this year's QB.
Next year? Perhaps Richardson again.
As the Colts hit a crossroads, the benching has also led to rethinking of how last year played out. Several members of the organization now say that sitting Richardson to watch and learn last year and perhaps this year may have been the right move.
The Colts named Richardson their starting QB for the 2023 season in mid-August after one preseason game, ending a QB battle with veteran Gardner Minshew.
Richardson's struggles, however, could serve as a cautionary tale for other young QBs who need time. Richardson entered the NFL with just 13 career starts at the University of Florida.
The other bit of hindsight has come in the form of how the offense is structured. If the Colts wanted to play Richardson, did the offense adapt enough to a style of play befitting him? Or does the team's system actually benefit a pocket-passer, such as Flacco?
There will be plenty of time for all parties to look back, ponder and judge. But for now, it'll be Flacco on the field starting Sunday night.
