Richardson is Turning New Leaf in Colts Return

The Indianapolis Colts’ decision to put quarterback Anthony Richardson back as the starter for the rest of the season, beginning in Week 11 against the New York Jets, has proven successful with Richardson’s latest performances.

The Colts previously switched to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco over the former Gator quarterback. This change was necessary to give Richardson, who currently holds the lowest completion (44.4%) in the NFL this season, a much-needed wake-up call.

Breaking: The Colts are benching former top-5 pick Anthony Richardson and turning to Joe Flacco, sources tell @AdamSchefter and @JFowlerESPN. pic.twitter.com/IcssWJzUh7

— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2024

How Richardson Made a Powerful Return

In his return, the No.4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft completed 66.7% of his passes for a career-high 272 yards with a passing touchdown and two rushing scores against the New York Jets.

Richardson ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 46 seconds remaining to bring the Colts to a 28-27 victory over the Jets on Nov.17.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1858252574136442892

For the second time, the former Gator quarterback single-handedly brought the Colts to a last-minute 25-24 victory against the New England Patriots last Sunday.

After being down 24-17 heading into the final drive of the game, Richardson found wide receiver Alec Pierce for a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining. Colts head coach Shane Steichen then boldly moved to go for a two-point conversion rather than kicking the extra point to tie the game for a chance at overtime.

Richardson plowed through the Patriots’ defense and crashed into the end zone to steal a victory:

Richardson Turns a Major Corner

The 6’4 quarterback’s latest performances have brought the Indianapolis Colts victories in two of their last three games. Steichen’s decision to bench Richardson has led him to grow since the start of the season:

Richardson has made tremendous strides both on and off the field to perform at his highest level. According to Steichen, “He’s in there at 5:30, 6 o’clock in the morning consistently — on a consistent basis — which has been really good to see.”

Richardson’s new mindset and work ethic have allowed him to lead the Colts to a pair of last-second game-winning drives.

https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1858256251072970903

What’s Next for the Colts

The Colts (6-7) attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 with Richardson as the team driver.

The Colts hit the road to take on the Denver Broncos (8-5) on Dec. 15 after Week 14’s bye.