Quarterback carousel continues for struggling Colts

Head coach Shane Steichen has changed starters for the second time this season after Sunday's loss to the Bills
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws the ball during pregame warm-up Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, ahead of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws the ball during pregame warm-up Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, ahead of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Indianapolis Colts have officially re-entered the quarterback carousel after renaming rookie Anthony Richardson as their starter against the New York Jets.

From 1998 to 2010, the Colts were spoiled by the first-ballot Hall of Fame play of Peyton Manning, winning their first Super Bowl since the Johnny Unitas days and winning another AFC Championship.

Right after Manning, the Colts were treated to Andrew Luck, who appeared to also be on a Hall of Fame trajectory. However, a bad offensive line made Luck tired of getting hit every Sunday, and he retired after the 2018 season, lasting just six seasons in the NFL.

Since then, it's been a revolving door under center with the Colts.

At first, they tried out Jacoby Brissett, who impressed as a backup for the New England Patriots. Before he got hurt, the Colts looked like a playoff team in 2019.

The next year, Indianapolis began going on the route of guys that had been dumped by teams they spent their entire careers with in Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan.

Rivers at least got the Colts to the playoffs, albeit as a No. 7 seed. Wentz and Ryan? Failed experiments.

Then came Gardner Minshew and now, Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco.

It was common knowledge that Richardson would be a project when he was drafted out of Florida. Did anyone expect it to be as bad as a 44.4 completion percentage? Probably not.

Maybe Richardson should've sat this entire season, but Joe Flacco, who balled out in Cleveland last year, didn't look good in either loss to the Minnesota Vikings or Buffalo Bills after Richardson's benching. It seems like Flacco can't play outside a West Coast offense anymore.

Long story short, the Colts will be bad this season and aren't guaranteed to have their quarterback of the future. A better veteran backup will be on their shopping list this offseason, and they're now staring at the possibility of shuffling through two quarterbacks again in 2025.

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