Joe Flacco draws Week 6 start for Colts amid Anthony Richardson injury

The Indianapolis Colts will start veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans as Anthony Richardson continues to nurse an oblique injury, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. While Richardson practiced during the week and was preparing to give it a go, he wasn’t fully ready to start.

The Colts made the decision early Sunday to give Richardson one more week off as the starter after he went through pregame tests, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. However, the youngster will act as the emergency No. 3 quarterback behind Flacco and Sam Ehlinger, so he could still see the field if absolutely needed.

Flacco has been terrific in relief of Richardson so far this season, throwing for 527 yards and five touchdowns to zero interceptions across two games. The 39-year-old took over when Richardson initially suffered his injury in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco led Indianapolis to a 27-24 victory by throwing for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Last week, Flacco put up monster numbers and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. The veteran threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns as the Colts scored 24 fourth-quarter points. Unfortunately, the end result was a heartbreaking 37-34 defeat as Indianapolis’ defense struggled. The Jaguars scored their first win of the season despite Flacco’s best efforts, which included 22 yards rushing.

The Colts are hoping the 39-year-old can continue his magic. Indianapolis is 2-3 on the season and looking to score a win against another struggling squad in Tennessee. The Titans are just 1-3 on the year and have been dealing with quarterback issues of their own. Will Levis has been bad to start Year 2 and has also dealt with an injury, so this is a big opportunity for Flacco and the Colts to pick up a much-needed road win.

If Flacco does play well in a win, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any conversation about keeping him as the starter even when Richardson is healthy. Richardson is the quarterback of the future, but Flacco could give Indianapolis a better chance to win now.