Anthony Richardson's cautionary tale could delay Arch Manning sweepstakes

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen officially made a quarterback change after leaving the door open for the possibility following the team's Week 8 loss. Instead of 2023 No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, 39-year-old Joe Flacco will start under center in their next game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Similar to what Bryce Young is facing with the Carolina Panthers, Richardson's had a short leash practically since joining the Colts. Frankly, it's more of a testament to how impatient the league is and the repercussions if a young signal-caller doesn't yield immediate results. ESPN's Matt Miller notes that scouts and agents have adjusted accordingly, recommending college quarterbacks stay in school longer to avoid the same fate.

Miller reported that talent evaluators and representatives are urging collegiate gunslingers to get two-plus years of starter experience before going pro. The NFL Draft analyst's intel could impact the positional landscape for the foreseeable future, with Texas' Arch Manning at the forefront.

Anthony Richardson's cautionary tale could delay Arch Manning sweepstakes

Manning's a redshirt freshman sitting behind upperclassmen Quinn Ewers. So, he won't get handed the keys to the Longhorns until the latter is out of the picture. In other words, the former must stay at Texas for at least two more seasons beyond 2024 to meet Miller's criteria.

Given the context, we may not see Manning take his talents to the next level as soon as anticipated. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning headlines the potential 2026 draft class and has been anointed the group's presumed first overall selection. However, this development could throw a wrench in things.

Knowing the quarterback rookie-scale contract window is a time to maximize a franchise's Super Bowl efforts in today's league, the margin for error is slim. Because of this, organizations like the Colts (and Panthers) take drastic measures, ostensibly cutting their losses prematurely. With that in mind and time on his side, Manning can reconsider what path he wants to take.

As many expected, the beginning of Richardson's NFL career has been turbulent, with more valleys than peaks. Not only was he never considered a finished product throughout the draft evaluation process, but his status as a raw albeit tantalizing prospect was widely known. Thus far, it's panned out that way to a tee. Yet, rather than letting him experience the growing pains, the Colts are pivoting to Flacco. Someone in Manning's camp is surely keeping tabs on this and thinking about how it may impact his impending future.