Anthony Richardson's Colts Benching Stuns NFL Fans amid Criticism of Exit vs. Texans

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson made headlines Sunday when he asked to be subbed out of the game against the Houston Texans because he was tired in a move that led to plenty of criticism.

Now he will not be under center for the team's next game against the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday that Indianapolis coaches met and decided to make a quarterback change, meaning Joe Flacco will be the starter for the upcoming contest against the Vikings.

Social media had no shortage of reactions:

This comes after Richardson tapped his helmet and asked out of the game against the Texans following multiple scrambles. Flacco temporarily replaced him in that contest.

Richardson told reporters he was, "tired, I ain't going to lie. That was a lot of running right there, and I didn't think I was going to go that next play. I needed a break right there."

The Colts fell short in the 23-20 loss and are now two games behind the Texans in the AFC South race. Houston also swept the season series as a result of Sunday's game and will have the head-to-head tiebreaker if needed.

Passing accuracy was once again a concern for Richardson in the latest loss, as he went 10-of-32 for 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was also sacked five times as the Colts' offensive line struggled to contain Houston's defensive front.

Accuracy was the biggest question mark for Richardson coming out of college, as he completed 54.7 percent of his passes during his time at Florida. That didn't stop the Colts from selecting him with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, but the passing issues have remained.

Through six games this season, Richardson has completed just 44.4 percent of his passes with four touchdown throws to seven interceptions.

By comparison, Flacco has completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. The veteran led the team to wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans when Richardson was sidelined with an oblique injury and will now have another opportunity to play well as Indianapolis chases a playoff spot.