Richardson’s Woes Continue In His Second NFL Season

The Houston Texans managed to hold off the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 Sunday, but many of the talking points from the game were not about who won.

The Colts had a situation not many in the sports world had seen. Former Florida Gators standout quarterback Anthony Richardson left the game for a play in the third quarter for a reason many athletes don’t say out loud. Richardson took himself out of the game because he was tired, he admitted.

#Colts QB Anthony Richardson on taking himself out of the game in the 3rd quarter: “Tired, I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did … So, I just told Shane (Steichen) I needed a break right there.”

(🎥 @WISHNews8)pic.twitter.com/5DiUalDXDU

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 27, 2024

Backlash

“Tired not gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did and I don’t think I was gonna be able to go that next play,” Richardson said.

As expected, this went viral on social media. There had already been comments made during the game about Richardson’s exit as there was no sign of injury. Admitting to being tired though is something the sports world hasn’t seen from a quarterback.

I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson.. The QB is your franchise. The message it sends is loud and influential.

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 27, 2024

It didn’t stop with just the posts on X about Richardson. Monday morning sports talk show “Get Up” on ESPN had a segment about Richardson and the panel did not mince words. They weren’t happy with Richardson and they couldn’t believe he admitted to being tired after the game.

The “Get Up” panel was not kind to Anthony Richardson this morning. pic.twitter.com/34iGI78jlT

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 28, 2024

Richardson has been inconsistent to start his NFL career and injuries have not helped. He missed the last 12 games of last season due to injury. Richardson also left shortly in Sunday’s game after landing awkwardly after a sack.

Sunday Performance

Unfortunately for Richardson, his quote may have been forgotten if he had a really good game and managed to get a win. That wasn’t the case. Richardson ended with a 10-of-32 stat line, throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown and an interception. He also took five sacks. He also scrambled for 45 yards on six attempts.

Richardson’s biggest issue in his college days was his lack of accuracy. His athletic ability has never been a question, especially after having one of the most impressive combine performances from a quarterback. Once again Sunday, he was missing passes that a NFL quarterback is expected to make.

Richardson has the worst completion percentage in the league at 44.4.

Where Do Colts Go Next?

Another problem Richardson faces is that in the games backup Joe Flacco has played this year, the offense has clicked more than when he is at the helm. Flacco is an NFL veteran and Super Bowl winner, but he is also 39 years old. The pressure is ramping up on Richardson to turn it around.

The Colts are 4-4 going into week 9, so there is time for them to turn things around. The question is who will be leading them, Richardson or Flacco?