Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was seen tapping his helmet in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans to signal an exit.
Joe Flacco would come in to replace him. While it was only for one play, it had people scratching their heads. Richardson addressed it following the 23-20 loss.
“Tired, I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do that next pay, so, I just told Shane [Steichen] I needed a break right there.”
Watch: #Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson explains why he subbed out of the game in the third quarter pic.twitter.com/1aHHUAbOBV
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) October 27, 2024
This had social media responding left and right, and even Pat McAfee got in on the reactions saying he’s never seen anything like it.
“I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson,” McAfee wrote on Twitter/X Sunday. “The QB is your franchise. The message it sends is loud and influential.”
CBS had reported Richardson was out of breath and wasn’t injured despite falling on a sack by Texans linebacker Jake Hansen.
The ironic thing about this is Richardson’s athleticism was a highlight in the combine before he was drafted fourth overall in 2023 by the Colts. Everything looked easy for him.
Indianapolis has had a big void at quarterback since Andrew Luck left. Richardson was shut down last season after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder — an injury that plagued Luck throughout his abbreviated career.
[WISH TV on X]
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.