The Colts Quarterback Carousel Continues, as Indianapolis turns to Joe Flacco

The Colts Quarterback Carousel Continues, as Indianapolis turns to Joe Flacco

Ever since that fateful night in 2019, when Andrew Luck took his final walk off the field inside of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts have been searching. That abrupt exit by Indianapolis’ franchise quarterback was an earthquake, tearing a gaping hole in the heart of a franchise that had put their entire faith into Luck as the successor to Peyton Manning.

And so began an odyssey of replacement quarterbacks – some hopeful, some hobbled and others just there to hold the line. Each new quarterback seemed like a less effective patch on a wound that simply wouldn’t heal. The drafting of Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was meant to be the answer, the big swing that would finally halt the quarterback carousel for the foreseeable future. 

Richardson came in with rare athletic gifts and tantalizing potential. The young quarterback was drafted to be a project. The now 22-year-old Richardson started just 13 games in college. Everyone from owner Jim Irsay to general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen talked of patience, of growing pains and of how development would come with reps on the field. 

However, the Colts have slipped from development mode to survival mode. The team’s aspirations for this season and Richardson’s early struggles have arrived at a crossroads, leaving Indianapolis with a narrow path forward. 

Richardson’s rough start, that has included a 44.4% completion rate and a 5.3% interception rate – both of which rank among the worst in the NFL – are both evidence of how far the young signal caller is from reaching that sky high potential. His raw playing style has led to countless breathtaking highlights this year, but it’s also left the team mired in inconsistency. 

On Monday, Steichen admitted that he was evaluating all his options. 24 hours later, Steichen’s evaluation was complete: Joe Flacco, the steady 39-year-old veteran, would start for the Colts on Sunday night football against the Vikings. The decision to return to Flacco marks a return to Indianapolis’ veteran approach, a decision that in many ways flies in the face of everything the Colts were looking to build around Richardson.

The plan was to ride out the highs and lows of a young quarterback and to let him find his footing in the league by battling through adversity. However, sitting right at .500 in a tight race for the last few spots in the AFC playoff picture, the calculus has changed for the Colts. 

During the time Richardson missed with an injury earlier this season, Flacco was able to act as a steadying force for Indianapolis. His 65.7% completion percentage and one interception on the year come as a stark contrast to Richardson’s play to start the season. Throughout his lengthy NFL career, Flacco has built a reputation as a calm, methodical leader, something Richardson doesn’t yet offer. 

Steichen, once so insistent on hands-on experience for Richardson, defended the choice to make the switch to Flacco as a tactical one with the Colts facing a brutal stretch of games, starting with the Vikings, followed by the Bills and the Lions.

“We’ve got to start hitting our stride, Steichen said. “November and December are where you make your push, and everything we want is still in front of us.”

For the Colts right now, there is no room to continue to the experiment. However, the underlying question remains: What does this benching mean for Richardson’s future in Indianapolis? Are the Colts losing a pivotal opportunity to help Richardson develop? Both of those questions will go without answers for at least the next couple of weeks.

For Richardson, the benching had to be a blow to his confidence after spending last season dealing with injuries. Now, he’ll watch from the sidelines once more, his progression on pause and his grip on the starting role as tenuous as ever. With all that being said, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Richardson’s numbers eerily resemble those of another big, unpolished quarterback in his early days.

Josh Allen’s stats during his rookie season mirror Richardson’s in completion percentage, interceptions and even rushing yards. Allen eventually managed to work through those struggles throughout the early stage of his career, but his success only came with extensive playing time. However, for every Allen, there’s a cautionary tale of a young quarterback losing confidence after being benched. The move in Indianapolis isn’t just about chasing wins, but about securing certainty in a season hanging on a razor’s edge.

Despite that, some fans and analysts have questioned the point. Is bringing in Flacco to possibly snag a couple more wins worth the cost? Would it only lead to another middle-of-the-pack season? Or, even worse, could the decision to shift to Flacco perpetuate the Colts’ limbo between rebuilding and contending? 

Both Irsay and Ballard wagered big on Richardson to find a true franchise quarterback. As Flacco steps into the spotlight in Indianapolis, the Colts are once again reminded of the revolving door under center since Luck’s retirement. This latest turn leaves the door open to every scenario; Flacco could steady the ship or simply delay the inevitable.

Indianapolis now embarks on an uncertain journey with Flacco, a veteran who has seen it all but who can only take the Colts so far. As for Richardson, now he waits as a young quarterback, his future suspended between fulfilling his lofty potential and becoming just another name in a long list of recent quarterbacks to come through Indianapolis.