Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen made the announcement that the team is reinstating Anthony Richardson as the starter for the Week 11 game against the Jets for “the rest of the 2024 season.”
The Colts organization decided to bench Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco following a Week 8 loss in which Richardson took himself out for a game citing being “tired.” According to Steichen the organization felt Flacco gave them a better chance of winning, however after back to back losses Steichen has re-evaluated the situation. Steichen mentioned in a Wednesday presser how Richardson has really stepped up in his development since the benching. Between the classroom, weight room and practice the team feels like the young QB is finally taking his development seriously.
We have seen plenty of quarterbacks bounce back from losing their starting role, however rarely has a benching this early in one’s career lead to future stardom. The range of outcomes for Richardson could be anything from Mitch Trubisky (who had a higher completion percentage and better TD/INT ratio at a similar point in his career) to Richardson’s best comparable player Josh Allen. Be cautious chasing outliers, as even Allen showed better underlying metrics throwing to a worse receiver core.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson put ...
The Indianapolis Colts will roll with veteran Joe Flacco as...
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ...
The Indianapolis Colts have made the decision to bench their former 4th overall pick and hand the keys over to former Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco.
Life in the NFL comes at you about as fast as a Will Anderson sack, just ask Anthony Richardson. Anderson and Richardson are inextricably tied as the ladder was drafted one pick before the former in the 2023 draft. More recently Anderson was the Texans top defensive player in a 23-20 win over the Colts, while Richardson’s continued struggles at QB ultimately caused the coaches to bench him.
Whether Richardson’s struggles classify as a textbook example of the Sophomore Slump or an indicator of his ability to quarterback at the NFL level has been heavily debated the past 8 weeks. By the numbers, Richardson is QB 30 or worse in nearly all QB throwing stats: Yards/game, touchdowns, completion percent, throwing yards (#29 actually)…the list goes on. He is top 12 in interceptions though, as well as all QB rushing metrics. Meanwhile Flacco’s lowest completion percentage this season (57.9 week 6 vs Tennessee) is higher than Richardson’s highest in a full game this year (50% week 2 vs Green Bay).
Aside from the metrics, the final straw may have come in an odd moment in the 3rd quarter week 8 in which Richardson took himself out of the game for a play. When asked if it was injury related he cited being tired and needing a breather. Perhaps Shane Steichen is getting tired of the underperformance?
Fantasy wise through the first 8 weeks Flacco has favored Josh Downs and Michael Pittman. Downs has 30 targets/24 catches/217 yards in 3 weeks with Flacco vs 17/8/134 in 3 with Richardson. Michael Pittman had 22 targets/14 catches /185 yards in 3 weeks with Flacco vs 31/15/167 in 5 games with Richardson. Alec Pierce enjoyed his time with Richardson more, while Jonathan Taylor and Adoni Mitchell were neutral.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
Steichen: “Do you limit Steph Curry shooting three pointers” when asked about Anthony Richardson’s limits on running.
Second year QB Anthony Richardson offers a mesmerizing blend of size, speed and athleticism that made him the 5th overall pick in the 2023 draft, and an immediate fantasy darling. In 2 full games and less than 30% of the snaps in two others, Richardson scored 4 rushing touchdowns and became the first QB in NFL history to score a rushing TD in his first 4 games. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a shoulder injury. Richardson has been fully cleared and has no limitations going into year two, and Colts HC Shane Steichen is planning on maximizing the young QB’s rushing abilities. During a media session on Thursday Colts head Coach Shane Steichen offered a very strong vote of confidence in his second year QB as a runner and a cross sport analogy about playing to his strengths. “Are we going to limit Richardson in the run game? Do you limit (all time NBA leader in three pointers made) Steph Curry shooting threes? That’s one of his strengths, that’s what he does well.”
Richardson is currently the QB5 on underdog at pick 57, going at the back of the fourth round. If what Steichen is saying is true, Richardson could immediately join the ranks of ELITE dual threat fantasy QBs and easily pay off his current cost. Richardson’s rushing could lead him to be the overall QB1 in 4point touchdown fantasy formats. Steichen was the mind behind the implementation of the “tush-push” in Philadelphia which first made Jalen Hurts as an elite fantasy option. With a similar if not better athlete at the helm in Indianapolis, the ceiling could be ever higher.
Anthony Richardson was seen throwing in front of the media for the first time since October of last year, including a pass to Michael Pittman Jr. that caused him to go down for a couple of minutes.
Richardson looked noticeably smooth throwing the ball, indicating that he is fully recovered from the shoulder injury he suffered last season that ended his year. Richardson mentioned there are some days his shoulder still feels “a little achy”, but is expected to have no restrictions in his participation in spring team activities.
During OTAs on Wednesday, Richardson rolled out of the pocket and threw a pass to a crowded area of the field where Michael Pittman Jr. leapt into the air to make a play on the ball and collided with defensive back, Jaylon Jones. At this point, it sounds like Pittman avoided a serious injury after Head Coach Shane Steichen shared that Pittman and Jones banged knees and he should be fine.
The Colts will be an exciting offense in 2024 with Richardson at the helm and Pittman Jr. as his established WR1. Fantasy Managers shouldn’t be afraid to project future success for this offense and take advantage of Pittman and Richardson’s current ADPs.
Anthony Richardson is scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery to repair his right AC joint.
What looked like it was going to be a magical rookie season is officially over for Anthony Richardson before it really took off. The initial thought was hope that Richardson would be able to rehab his shoulder and return after taking 4-6 weeks off. Evidently, it was decided that the best option long-term would be to have the surgery early and begin rehabbing for 2024 as soon as possible.
There is no reason to believe that Anthony Richardson’s injury will have negative long-term consequences for his career, or his dynasty value. By opting for surgery now, the Colts will have the entire 2023 offseason with their QB1 instead of risking missed time with a delay. The injury to Anthony Richardson may open a small buy window in dynasty from a panicking GM.
Gardner Minshew will take the reigns as the Colts QB1 for the rest of the season, which seems to elevate the floors of the Colts’ pass catchers. Michael Pittman averages 12.5 targets, 9 receptions, 93 yards, and 16.75 PPR points in Minshew’s two starts, up from 8.75 targets, 5.5 receptions, 55 yards, and 13 PPR PPG. Second-fiddle Josh Downs also jumps from 5.25 targets, 3.75 receptions, 49.5 yards, and 8.7 PPR PPG all the way up to 10 targets, 6.5 receptions, 39 yards, and 13.4 PPG. Continue to start your Colts with confidence.
Anthony Richardson has been initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain and is expected to be out for a month or more.
Unfortunately, it’s becoming all too common to read reports of Richardson dealing with injuries. The star rookie has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy, but has only played 100% of the offensive snaps for the Colts in one game this season. While his leg injury in week 1 and concussion in week 2 didn’t cause him to miss extended time, it sounds like this latest shoulder injury will cause him to miss multiple games and could even result in him being placed on short-term IR.
For Fantasy Managers who are rostering Richardson, we urged you to find an insurance policy for the physical rookie after his concussion in week 2. At this point, finding a suitable replacement QB for Richardson over the next month should be a top priority for any contending team. Gardner Minshew will be filling in for Richardson moving forward, but he isn’t an ideal replacement for fantasy purposes.
For the other Colts offensive players, this news means a slight bump in their value going forward. Minshew is more reliant on his arm than Richardson, and Michael Pittman has displayed strong chemistry with Minshew, along with rookie Josh Downs. Colts running backs Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss are also at less of a risk to have Minshew steal goal-line rushing opportunities, and they should be leaned on heavily to support the offense while Richardson is out.
