NFL Rumors: Anthony Richardson 'Surprised' by Benching; Wasn't Aware of Colts' Issues

Anthony Richardson was reportedly caught off guard by the Indianapolis Colts' decision to bench him heading into a matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, the Colts believed that Richardson was "lacking" in his "game preparation" as well as his understanding of the "gravity of the job." It was "more" of a factor in his benching compared to his play on the field.

"Whether such expectations were previously communicated to Richardson is less clear," Holder wrote. "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."

Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Wednesday that the team was benching Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, in favor of veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco.

Indianapolis' concerns surrounding Richardson's preparation were likely exacerbated when he revealed that he briefly took himself out of the team's Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans because he was tired.

The 22-year-old has struggled with accuracy issues this season, completing just 44.4 percent of his throws and averaging 159.7 yards per game through the air. He's also thrown four touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions.

The Colts didn't look much better with Flacco during a 21-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday, though. The 39-year-old finished 16-of-27 for 179 yards and an interception without recording a touchdown.

Despite the defeat, Steichen confirmed that Flacco would remain the team's starter moving forward but left the door open for Richardson's potential return.

"Not giving up on Anthony by any means," Steichen said, per Holder. "He's a young player with a ton of talent and he'll use this time to continue to develop and grow as a professional."

Although he's experienced his fair share of struggles on the field in 2024, Richardson will need to prove himself off the field in order to return to the top spot on Indianapolis' depth chart.