They warned us about the journey ahead, mentioning the inevitable ups and downs, the growing pains, and the value of patience. They assured us that the wait would be worthwhile—or at least, that they would stick around long enough to find out if it wasn’t.

Now, 18 months after selecting quarterback Anthony Richardson fourth overall, the Indianapolis Colts are pulling the plug on a player who was supposed to end the ongoing QB carousel that has plagued the franchise since Andrew Luck’s retirement in 2019.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the Colts (4-4) would bench Richardson in favor of 39-year-old backup Joe Flacco, who is set to start this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (5-2).

While it would have been understandable for Indianapolis to determine that Richardson wasn’t in their future plans, no one in the organization wanted that outcome. The harsh truth is that not every high draft pick lives up to expectations, but to make this decision after just 10 games is astonishingly shortsighted.

The Colts opted for this change following Richardson’s poor performance on Sunday, where he completed only 10 of 32 passes in a 23-20 loss to Houston. It’s worth noting that his receivers had their share of dropped passes—Tyler Goodson missed a touchdown, Will Mallory let a first down slip, and Michael Pittman Jr. admitted he didn’t support Richardson enough as the top target.

Colts coach Shane Steichen hinted at Richardson’s benching during a press conference on Monday when asked about his starting role for Week 9.

“We are evaluating everything,” Steichen stated.

When pressed further about Richardson’s status, he affirmed, “Right now, today, he is, yes.”

However, when asked about Sunday’s game against Minnesota, he simply said, “We’re evaluating.”

It didn’t take a genius to see what was coming next.

Let me be clear: benching Richardson is a major misstep. To distance themselves, even temporarily, from a 22-year-old athlete with less than a full NFL season under his belt in favor of a nearly 40-year-old veteran makes little sense.

Why is that?

First, consider the impact on Richardson’s confidence, which is likely to suffer, as will his trust in the coaching staff and the organization. They didn’t just promise the fans patience; they made the same promise to him.

It’s true he hasn’t performed as they hoped, but early difficulties shouldn’t have come as a shock.

One major concern about Richardson coming out of Florida was his lack of experience. Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds noted after the 2023 NFL Draft that Richardson had “blue-chip traits,” but not a solid track record. He had only 13 starts with the Gators and even fewer in the NFL.

Cutting his rookie season short to just four games due to a shoulder injury was unfortunate, as was the oblique injury that sidelined him for two games this year. There are valid worries about his long-term durability and whether he can be evaluated adequately.

Despite these concerns, he’s currently healthy, and the Colts should have played him as much as possible for the rest of this season, no matter how rough it got. A full season of evaluation is far more valuable than the alternative.

I can hear the Colts fans now: What about winning now? What about the playoffs? I’ll address that shortly, but for those who can’t wait, yes, Richardson’s development is more important than immediate results—especially since the best-case scenario with Flacco at the helm doesn’t promise a fairy-tale ending.

Let’s not gloss over Richardson’s challenges. He hasn’t performed like the promising QB we saw last year when he scored seven total touchdowns in just four games. Yet, I believe part of his regression this year stems from Steichen’s play calling, which seems less aligned with Richardson’s strengths compared to last season. When I asked Steichen, who consistently says he must “be better,” how he could improve his play calling for the young QB, he responded:

“Running the ball better, putting him in simpler positions, getting the ball out of his hands quicker so he’s not just dropping back and sitting there,” Steichen explained on Monday.

So why hasn’t he done more of that? After all, this is “his guy,” as owner Jim Irsay stated, leaning on Steichen’s insights when evaluating quarterbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Richardson wouldn’t even be in Indianapolis if Steichen hadn’t pushed for it.

Keep this context in mind when considering the benching. Additionally, pulling the plug on Richardson reflects poorly on Steichen, who either failed to develop him correctly or misjudged the QB’s potential.

I lean toward the former, as we are now eight games into Richardson’s second season. In the six games he has played, he has been asked far too often to act purely as a pocket passer, despite knowing accuracy is his biggest challenge.

During the season opener this year, Richardson seemed to be building on his promising rookie campaign. His 60-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce caught the NFL’s attention. However, since then, the ups and downs have skewed downward.

This season, Richardson has thrown four touchdowns against seven interceptions, with a 44.4 completion percentage—the lowest among qualified QBs. His decision to sub himself out on Sunday because he was “tired” following a failed scramble didn’t help his standing, although he did throw off a 318-pound defensive tackle during that play.

“We had a conversation about it, and I think he knows that’s not the standard he needs to meet, as expected by the team,” said center Ryan Kelly, the Colts’ longest-serving player. “I’ll leave it at that, but he’s likely to face some criticism for that, and rightfully so. It was a tough look… But anyone questioning his effort doesn’t have a valid argument.”

Steichen claimed Monday that Richardson’s request to sit out for a play didn’t influence the decision to reassess who would start at Minnesota. However, it clearly didn’t sit well with the team, and it’s fair to say Richardson may need to rebuild his reputation among his teammates, who have publicly supported him.

Despite the negative optics for Richardson, benching him is an overreaction from the Colts.

Certainly, one could argue that Flacco has been more stable and possibly even better than Richardson this season. The former Super Bowl MVP has thrown seven touchdowns against one interception while going 1-1 as Richardson’s backup. But remember my earlier point about the best-case scenario? It’s not as optimistic as some might think. Even if Flacco performs well and guides Indianapolis to the playoffs, this isn’t a team that stands a realistic chance of winning the Super Bowl.

These Colts won’t outplay the Chiefs, the Bills, or the Ravens in the playoffs.

The team’s defense has been inconsistent and riddled with injuries. Their top wide receiver, Pittman, is dealing with back issues, and starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann just entered concussion protocol days before facing a challenging Brian Flores-led defense in Minnesota.

Does that sound like a formula for immediate success or future growth? To me, it signals a certain path to mediocrity, which the Colts seem to be embracing. Even if they finish with a record of 9-8 or 10-7 and secure their first playoff appearance since 2020, they’d sacrifice draft positioning for the upcoming spring and end up restarting the quarterback search with a less favorable pick than if Richardson had played through his struggles.

Perhaps some believe Richardson’s benching is just a temporary measure and that this time on the sidelines will help him prepare for a comeback in 2025. That might be true, but the Colts now risk undermining his confidence. By the time he returns to the field, it will be his third NFL season, and they still won’t be any closer to knowing if they have their long-term quarterback.

They’re merely postponing the inevitable.

“I know I could have thrown the ball better. I could have made better reads. I understand that,” Richardson reflected after Sunday’s loss. “Even when we perform well and win, they’ll say, ‘A.R. was the reason we won.’ You have to accept both sides, the victories and the defeats.

“I’m focused on growing and getting better.”

That growth won’t happen now as the Colts chase another early playoff exit instead of maximizing every chance for their young QB to either thrive or struggle.

“Peyton (Manning’s rookie) year, we were 3-13. That was a guy who had played many college games and was as prepared as anyone could be for the league,” Irsay said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in July 2023. “For Anthony Richardson, it’s going to be challenging. We understand that. But he must play to improve. There’s no question.”

So, why are they doubting that now?