The Colts took a tough loss to the Texans, 23-20. But let’s be real—the bigger story wasn’t just the L in the score column. Despite not even playing their sharpest, Houston made it clear they’re here to collect dubs, leaving the Colts at an even 4-4. But the major L? Colts’ rookie QB, Anthony Richardson, hitting the sidelines mid-game. Not exactly what fans expect from their main guy on the field.

It looked like Richardson waved the white flag mid-game, tapping out and letting backup Joe Flacco take over. In the NFL, that’s not exactly what you want from your starting QB. And the football world did not hold back.

Free-agent guard Justin Pugh was all over it, voicing what a lot of players might’ve been thinking. He took to X (formerly Twitter) and didn’t mince words, saying, “What’s getting lost in this Anthony Richardson drama is the rest of the team… You have 52 guys fighting, scratching, and clawing for their careers.” Ouch! For Pugh, it’s simple: “This is the NFL, not the minor leagues.”

But Pugh wasn’t a solo act here. Remember Pat McAfee chiming in too? He threw some serious shade Richardson’s way. “I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson…” McAfee posted, capturing the disbelief of fans everywhere.

Let’s face it—seeing a quarterback, the supposed anchor of the offense, choose the sidelines is rare. And when McAfee said that QB is not just your position but your whole franchise. He hit the bullseye, hammering home the unspoken rule that quarterbacks, especially, have to lead by example.

Now, how he reacted to the grind was just half of the problem. The other half (or the major issue)? The way Richardson’s been showing up on the gridiron is a no-show and a cause of concern amongst the fans.

Anthony Richardson is losing his place at the Colts?

For the first time in his short NFL career, Anthony Richardson finds himself riding the pine while Joe Flacco stepped in as QB1 for the Colts’ big road game against Minnesota. Yep, the same Joe who’s been keeping defenses in check since Richardson was in high school. But with a coach like Shane Steichen, who’s all about maximizing offensive talent, this decision speaks volumes. Is Richardson already losing his footing in Indy?

Looking at the stats, Richardson’s been less than stellar. He’s split his ten starts evenly between wins and losses and completed a shaky 50.2% of his passes. For a QB drafted fourth overall, you’d hope for a little more accuracy and a little less time spent airing out the ball.

His passing stats show seven touchdowns to eight picks, and though he leads the league in yards per completion (16.8), the inconsistency screams rookie struggles. Even as a runner, he’s shown flashes of brilliance, but nothing steady. You have to wonder—did the Colts overestimate how quickly he’d adapt?

Richardson was drafted as a high-ceiling “project” QB, much like Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts. Yup, both have shone massively with their franchise. But it’s clear in Richardson’s case (and some of you might agree with us), that the lack of college experience, paired with injuries, seems to be stalling his development.

Will the Colts’ decision to bench him fast-track his development, or slow it down? If they miss the AFC playoffs, they might’ve missed out on a season’s worth of invaluable growth for Richardson. But you can rest assured that this is not IT for Richardson at Indy. It surely cannot be. There is more.