New details of Colts benching Anthony Richardson make Shane Steichen less of a villain

When Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was benched for veteran Joe Flacco a few weeks ago, it caused a stir amongst the NFL. There wasn't a lot of explanation given for the second-year quarterback's benching, however, it did happen to follow an incident where Richardson removed himself for one play during Indianapolis's loss to Houston.

This week the Colts announced that Richardson will resume his role as starter against the Jets in Week 1.

In a recent article by ESPN, reporter Stephen Holder finally got an inside look into the reason behind head coach Shane Steichen's decision to bench Richardson. According to a few insiders, Steichen's intentions of benching Richardson were to make him understand the high expectations that come with being a franchise quarterback.

Colts benching Anthony Richardson was essentially to teach QB a lesson

Richardson's off-field character antics were never questioned but he was seen as "naive" by many in the organization. Steichen even described him as "He's a great kid." he continued, "I look at character as No. 1 of my pillars, and he has high character. You can work with that."

Richardson reportedly didn't fully understand the effort that it takes to be a franchise QB and his benching was simply to get his attention and change some habits. As a response, he has been getting to the team's facility earlier in the morning to study film and plan for the week ahead. The extra attention to detail is holding him to a higher standard by his teammates and coaching staff. The Colts are hoping that the more effort he puts into his role, the better results he will get out of it.

While many felt the initial decision revolved around him sitting out for a play, the Colts have been a bit vague about the real reason. Coach Steichen has undergone some scrutiny since joining the Colts in the 2023 offseason, performing just below .500. However, this inside story provides a better look at how Steichen operates as a head coach and his good intentions for the team.

It's up to Richardson in how he will respond and so far it seems like he has gained a far better understanding of what is expected of him. He told the media "[Steichen] told me I was going to be the starter from here on out, but it's up to me to keep my job. I have to make sure I'm doing the right thing and keep showcasing to Shane that I can be the guy and that I am the guy for this team."