NFL executive predicts what's next for Colts' Anthony Richardson after benching

Some within the NFL community remain surprised that Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen benched second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson last week and will stick with veteran Joe Flacco as the team's QB1 even though Flacco failed to impress in Indianapolis' 21-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings that dropped the club to 4-5 on Sunday night.

For a piece published on Monday morning, one NFL executive who spoke with ESPN's Stephen Holder on the condition of anonymity addressed whether or not he believes Richardson has a long-term future with the organization following the events of the past eight days.

"I think [Richardson] will be there next year, and they'll try to start him but have a backup or bridge [QB] they believe can take over if it doesn't work," the executive said. That exec added that "the Colts would likely trade" Richardson perhaps as soon as before the 2025 deadline if he loses the starting job to a QB2 next summer or fall. 

The Colts selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick of the 2023 draft, but multiple injuries limited him to just four starts as a rookie. According to ESPN stats, Richardson began Monday ranked 29th out of 31 qualified players with a 36.7 adjusted QBR for this season. His 44.4% completion percentage is the worst in the league, and he tossed four touchdown passes with seven interceptions across six games before he was benched. 

Despite what Steichen said last week, many believe he demoted Richardson largely because the 22-year-old admitted that he came out of the club's Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans because he was "tired." Numerous outsiders have said that Richardson would have to win back the trust of some veteran players after that comment. 

"According to multiple sources," Holder added, "[the benching of Richardson is] being framed as an opportunity for him to improve his game preparation and better understand the gravity of the job, an area the team says he has been lacking. This, sources said, was even more a factor in the decision than Richardson's on-field performance. ...Richardson was surprised by the benching, according to a source close to Richardson, because he did not realize he was falling short in this area."

That update suggests Flacco could remain the Indianapolis starter even if he produces a dud in this coming Sunday's home game against the 7-2 Buffalo Bills. He completed 16-of-27 passes for 179 yards with no touchdowns and one interception versus the Vikings.

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Colts as 4.5-point underdogs against the Bills.