The Indianapolis Colts have made a quarterback change, benching second-year starter Anthony Richardson in favor of 39-year-old veteran Joe Flacco. The move came amid Richardson's continued sophomore slump that has seen him struggle to impact games in the same way he did when he burst onto the scene as a rookie a year ago.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick weighed in on the Colts' decision to bench their second-year star in his weekly appearance on Inside the NFL.
"Well, I don't know, that's a good question, Ryan [Clark]," Belichick said when asked if Richardson's time in Indianapolis is done. "When you look at some of the quarterbacks in the National Football League, guys like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, everybody's like, 'Put them in there! Put them in there! Get them in there! Won't do you any good sitting them on the bench!' And then it doesn't go well. And now look at Sam Darnold in Minnesota. Now look at Baker Mayfield in Tampa. Getting them in there is not always the best thing," Belichick said.
There's no question that Belichick believes that Richardson will learn from this experience and improve when his next shot comes.
"One thing I do think is Anthony Richardson is a great kid, a great competitor, and I think he will work hard to improve whatever deficiencies he feels like he has. How the decision was handled and all that, I don't really know. But it's very delicate. Once you put a rookie in, it's really hard to take him out. And then you know you're going to have to put him back in again, because...Joe Flacco is not the future of the Indianapolis Colts. I love Joe Flacco, but he's at the end of his career. Richardson's at the beginning. It's a tough spot.
“Anthony Richardson is a great kid, a great competitor."
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) October 31, 2024
Bill Belichick reacts to the Colts moving forward with Joe Flacco as QB. pic.twitter.com/VFBBCVDDz7
The Colts head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings on Sunday night, as Flacco will try to lead the franchise to a victory in his third start of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Weighs in on Anthony Richardson's NFL Future After Colts Benching.
