Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has had a difficult start to his second NFL season.

He may have lost his job after Sunday’s performance in a loss to the Houston Texans.

Head coach Shane Steichen was asked twice Monday if Richardson is still the Colts’ starting quarterback.

“Right now, today he is, yes,” Steichen said.

Steichen was then asked to clarify whether Richardson would start next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We’re checking,” Steichen replied.

So, maybe.

Colts rolled the dice when drafting Richardson

The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft almost entirely because of his tremendous arm strength and athleticism. After a single season as Florida’s full-time starter in 2022, it was clear that Richardson was a promising candidate who had significant concerns about his accuracy.

Richardson completed just 53.8% of his passes in his final college season. But he wowed NFL scouts with an SEC-best 14.5 yards per completion and 654 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Richardson has regressed in his 2nd NFL season

The book on Richardson was that if he could improve his accuracy, he would become one of the NFL’s most dangerous weapons. It’s a path Josh Allen took on his way to becoming one of the league’s best quarterbacks after similar concerns about his accuracy dogged him out of Wyoming.

Ten games into his NFL career, Richardson has shown little sign of development. In fact, it is declining. Richardson’s rookie season was limited to four games due to multiple injuries. But he showed his potential by averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per completion. His 59.5% completion rate left room for improvement.

In six games as a starter this season, Richardson has regressed, and the worries that followed him from Florida have only intensified. The deep balls are there. Richardson leads the league with 16.2 yards per completion and has thrown several outstanding touchdown passes. But his 44.4% completion rate doesn’t match that of an NFL backup, let alone a starter. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is also 4 to 7.

More fights on Sunday

The first half on Sunday brought a new low. Richardson completed just two of 15 passes before halftime against Houston. It was the full Richardson experience, as one of his two completions was a 69-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs.

Richardson finished the day completing 10 of 32 passes (31.3%) for 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception that put the Texans inside the Indianapolis 10-yard line before halftime.

The Texans converted the turnover into a touchdown and won the game 23-20.

Richardson made matters worse by briefly leaving the game in the third quarter. It wasn’t so much that he left the game that was a concern, but his statement after the game.

Steichen said Monday that he discussed the decision with Richardson.

“We had a conversation about this in the quarterback room this morning that I’m keeping private,” Steichen said. “But of course he knows that in situations like this you can’t walk away from deals like this. And it’s a learned experience for him that he needs to grow from.”

Would Richardson benefit from some time on the bench?

Backup Joe Flacco came into the game for a play after Richardson was eliminated on a third-and-goal in the third quarter. It was Flacco’s fourth appearance of the season, including two starts in which Richardson was injured.

The Colts offense performed better with Flacco, who completed 65.7% of his passes for 7.5 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns and one interception this season. The Colts are 4-4 and have not yet been eliminated from the AFC playoff race.

Meanwhile, Richardson was thrown into the fire as an NFL starter from day one, even though he hadn’t had a chance yet. Would he and the Colts mutually benefit from a midseason quarterback change that allows him to learn and develop off the bench?