The Indianapolis Colts announced they were benching second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson on Tuesday, leading to a ton of pointed reactions. One of those came from ESPN's Dan Orlovsky.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Orlovsky lamented the Colts' decision, claiming Richardson has been much better than the box score would show. He also said the benching would hinder the young quarterback's development at a crucial moment.
💻 @danorlovsky7
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) October 29, 2024
Was in the middle of talking to the ESPN analyst when news broke that the @Colts benched Anthony Richardson for veteran Joe Flacco: #NFL #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/4XZQZL1aZZ
Orlovsky agreed the Colts are better with Joe Flacco starting now. He went on to say Richardson has to develop.
"It's also at the same time necessity that he plays," Orlovsky said. "He has not played much football since high school, let alone college. He has to develop; he can't Trey Lance this. He can't go years and years and years without playing football. The only way at that spot to get better is being in those game environments. He's playing catchup reps-wise."
Orlovsky is correct, Richardson has not played much football since leaving high school. He started one game during his second season at Florida before taking over starting duties in 2022. He started 12 games and showed enough talent for the Colts to select him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
As a rookie, Richardson only played in four games before spraining the AC joint in his shoulder. He eventually underwent shoulder surgery and was out for the season. So far in 2024 he has played in six games. That's simply not enough to determine how good he is or will be at the NFL level.
The Colts spent a top-five pick on Richardson and haven't given him the room to develop. This decision could haunt the franchise in the long term.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Orlovsky Laments Colts Benching Anthony Richardson for Hindering His Development.
