The Indianapolis Colts’ rocky 2024 season has cast a spotlight on quarterback Anthony Richardson, the team’s highly-touted fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, as the franchise misses the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, frustrations within the locker room are boiling over, and Richardson has found himself at the center of the storm.
A Season of Disappointment
The Colts’ Week 17 blowout loss to the New York Giants, a 45-14 rout at MetLife Stadium, cemented another losing season for a franchise struggling to find direction. Their 7-9 record officially eliminated them from playoff contention, marking another low point for a team that has become mired in mediocrity.
Amid this turmoil, tensions in the locker room reportedly reached a breaking point. According to The Athletic’s Jim Trotter, several Colts players held private meetings with Richardson, expressing their dissatisfaction with his performance and demanding greater accountability.
“I signed an extension here because I believed in you,” defensive tackle DeForest Buckner reportedly told Richardson during one such meeting. “But you’ve got to do your part.”
Flip-Flopping at Quarterback Adds to Chaos
The friction surrounding Richardson stems from Indianapolis’ unstable quarterback situation throughout the season. Head coach Shane Steichen’s indecision about whether to start the young quarterback or veteran Joe Flacco created a volatile environment.
In late October, Steichen benched Richardson without providing a clear explanation, stating only that the rookie was “going through a process” and that Flacco offered the team “the best chance to win now.” However, Flacco’s performance failed to deliver, as the veteran quarterback struggled in consecutive starts, forcing Steichen to reinstate Richardson under center.
Steichen’s reluctance to clarify his decisions both to the media and the team added to the uncertainty. When asked if his players supported the quarterback shuffle, Steichen dodged, saying, “I can’t speak for our team.”
Frustration in the Locker Room
The lack of consistency at quarterback reportedly left some players questioning the franchise’s direction. One veteran player, speaking anonymously to The Athletic, described how the back-and-forth decisions impacted the team’s morale.
“They were trying to hold [Richardson] accountable, which is understandable, but then the guy they put in wasn’t the guy either,” the player said. “So when they went back to A.R., at that point it’s like, ‘OK, but what are we doing?’ That really affected the team.”
Steichen acknowledged Richardson’s struggles but insisted the young quarterback was making progress. “It’s the attention to detail in everything he does. From the classrooms to the walk-throughs to practice to the weight room, all those little things, it’s just gotta be at a higher standard,” Steichen said. “He’s shown strides. He really has.”
Health Issues Add to the Uncertainty
Richardson’s season took another hit as he battled health issues late in the year. Chronic back spasms sidelined him for the Giants game, and his availability for the Colts’ final game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars remains uncertain.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Richardson described the severity of his condition. “I’ve been dealing with the most severe back spasms of my life,” he said. “At one point, I was crawling around my house.”
Despite his condition, Richardson expressed a strong desire to play in the season finale, though the team has yet to confirm his status.
A Franchise at a Crossroads
The Colts’ rollercoaster season has left more questions than answers about their future. Richardson, heralded as the franchise’s quarterback of the future, has shown flashes of brilliance but remains inconsistent. Meanwhile, the coaching staff’s handling of the quarterback situation has drawn criticism, and the locker room’s discontent highlights deeper issues within the organization.
For Richardson, the challenge now is to prove he can meet the lofty expectations placed upon him while navigating the growing pains of a young quarterback in the NFL. For the Colts, the offseason will bring critical decisions about how to stabilize the team and rebuild trust within the locker room.
As the Colts prepare to face the Jaguars in their season finale, the focus will be less on the result and more on how the franchise charts a path forward. Whether Richardson will play—or if he remains the long-term answer at quarterback—remains to be seen.
