NFL fans and analysts are erupting on social media over the Indianapolis Colts’ complete disarray. The team decided to bench their young quarterback Anthony Richardson after just ten games as a starter, and after just two games, they are inserting him back into the starting lineup. This is the perfect way to ruin a young quarterback who also barely had any college experience.
The league has a major issue with developing young quarterbacks, as many of the great players and coaches have spoken about, but this is another level of poor management of their young top draft pick. The Colts have also been able to win games so far this season and still have a real chance to make the postseason, but the way they have gone about this quarterback situation seems to lack any type of plan.
Also Read: Anthony Richardson’s Colts Situation Gets Harsh Reality Check
Taking your young starter out for two games after barely giving him a chance is the perfect way to ruin a young player’s development and confidence, and fans are touching the Colts for the way they have handled this situation.
NFL Fans and Analysts Are Ripping Indianapolis Colts
Following the team’s back-to-back losses with Joe Flacco as the team’s starter, the Colts are going back to Richardson.
Per The Spun:
On Wednesday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced that Flacco is going back to the bench while second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson will have his job back for Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets. Flacco was responsible for four turnovers in Sunday’s 30-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble. He also lost 32 yards due to sacks.
“Colts have gone back to Anthony Richardson as the starting quarterback,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote this morning.
Flacco has been better than Richardson overall, but nowhere near enough to make sense of benching your No. 4 overall pick for two games just to bring him back. Richardson was playing very poorly before getting benched, so it made some type of sense to go in favor of the veteran as the team could make a playoff push. However, to bench him for just two games and then bring him back is not going to end well for the team and Richardson.
Colts have gone back to Anthony Richardson as the starting quarterback.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2024
Fans have all been ripping the team for the way they handled this situation, and we will have to wait and see if the team completely crumbles because of this poor management:
“Need a VEEP style tv show based on the Colts front office and ownership. We have 7 seasons of material already,” one user joked.
“Great news if you’re worried about the Colts stealing the 7th wildcard slot from the Bengals. He stinks,” wrote another.
“Two things: either this staff has no control and are taking marching orders from ownership, or they have no idea what they’re doing. What a disaster wow,” a third wrote.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky had the best response to this news, asking the question we all want to know:
“Is there a plan?” Orlovsky asked bluntly.
There is no plan right now and it is quite obvious. The team has legitimate chances to make the playoffs, but their locker room must be a bit confused after the circus that has been going on the last month. They have some brutal games coming up, and while they may be able to beat the awful Jets, things will get much tougher for the Colts down the stretch.
It is really such a disservice to these young quarterbacks the way they are lacking proper development and it is showing in the NFL product as a whole. These young talented guys need plenty of time to learn how to play in the league, and the coaching staff needs to develop them properly.
Related: “Becoming a Pro’s Pro”: Colts Make Bold QB Change for Jets Matchup
