THE Indianapolis Colts have made a major decision to bench Anthony Richardson at quarterback.
The 22-year-old caused controversy during the NFL Week 8 showdown with the Houston Texans.
Anthony Richardson has been benched by the Indianapolis Colts[/caption]
Joe Flacco, the NFL veteran, will start in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings[/caption]
He revealed he took himself out of the game during the second half following a long run.
Richardson claimed he was tired after the play, despite only being a few weeks into the season.
That caused uproar among the Colts fans and analysts, who called for him to be dropped.
And the AFC South team have decided to make an example of him, putting the QB on the bench.
Instead, Joe Flacco will start in the position against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.
According to ESPN, Colts coaches met on Tuesday morning to decide whether to replace the youngster with the veteran.
It came just two days after the incident against the Texans, which lasted just one play.
Colts coach Shane Steichen said on Monday he was evaluating the starting quarterback position.
He claimed his decision was not effected by Richardson pulling himself out of the game.
ESPN understand the Colts choice was more down to him struggling in recent weeks.
But they claim, internally, the team still see him as their franchise quarterback of the future.
Richardson is only in his second year with the Colts, who have a 4-4 record this year.
He missed a large past of the 2023-24 season with a shoulder injury.
The QB was ruled out in October following the problem that required surgery.
Why is the NFL allowing players to wear Guardian Caps?
The NFL announced in April that players will be allowed to wear extra protective headgear in games to increase player health and safety.
They are designed to reduce the risk of head injury in high-impact collisions and were introduced in practice in 2022 – leading to a 50 percent reduction in concussions.
The NFL says that they can reduce the force from head contact by 10 percent if one player is wearing it, and 20 percent if all players involved are wearing them.
“We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season,” said NFL executive Jeff Miller.
“Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much – if not more – protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap.
“These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players.”
NFL players will have 12 new helmets – including eight that are made specifically for linemen and quarterbacks – to choose from next season.
The starlet was the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL at just 22.
He was drafted at number 4 of the first round in 2023 after just 13 starts for the University of Florida.
Richardson was named the starter over Gardner Minshew in training camp.
It came following just one preseason game that year.
Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards in the 23-20 loss in Houston.
He told Steichen he “needed a break right there” as he left the game in the third quarter, while tapping on his helmet.
The two then held private meetings on Sunday and Monday over the incident.
He has just a 44.4 per cent completion rate this season.
Flacco, 39, replaced the injured Richardson earlier this season and passed for 716 yards with 7 touchdowns and in three games.
