Colts center Ryan Kelly and coach Shane Steichen both had conversations with quarterback Anthony Richardson about tapping out for a play Sunday.
Richardson left the game for a third-and-goal play in the third quarter, admitting afterward that he was “tired.”
Steichen called it a “learning moment” for the second-year quarterback.
Richardson has been roasted by sports talk, fans and former players for asking out of the game after back-to-back scrambles. It did not go over well in the locker room either.
“We had a conversation about it, and I think he knows that’s not the standard he needs to play up to and the rest of the team holds him, too,” Kelly said, via video from Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. “I’ll kind of leave the conversation we had at that. I know he’s going to take some criticism for that, and rightfully so, that’s a tough look. But also he’s out there giving it all for his team, right? It’s not always pretty at times. An offensive lull the last couple of weeks, just having a hard time getting going at times. I thought we did some good things in the game. If anybody questions how hard he plays, I don’t think that’s the case. If you watch his film, surely we didn’t move the ball effectively at times, but he’s giving it everything for his teammates. He’s young. I’m sure it’s a learning moment for him, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Joe Flacco replaced Richardson for a handoff on third-and-goal from the Houston 23, and the Colts kicked a field goal.
Richardson has completed only 44.4 percent of his passes for 958 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions, and Steichen has not committed to him for this week.
