Joe Flacco on starting for the Colts: ‘I’m fired up’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Colts made a change at the quarterback position, swapping out Anthony Richardson for Joe Flacco as the starter.
Flacco, the 39-year-old 17 year NFL veteran, will start his third game for the Colts on Sunday.
It will be his 188th start in the NFL, but the excitement has not worn off.
“I’m fired up man,” Flacco said. “Anytime you get a chance to play football in this league, you have to count yourself as blessed. I really feel very fortunate to be with this team and be in this situation and I’m excited to get it done.”
The other two starts he made with the Colts were as an injury replacement for Richardson. In those two games, he threw for 548 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Flacco said. “I’m just going to go out there and play my game and do the best I can to elevate everybody and give them confidence and just do my thing like I have.”
Colts head coach Shane Steichen made it clear that this is not just a change for the week. Flacco will be the starting quarterback moving forward for the Colts.
Flacco thinks that decision helps his mentality in preparation each week, and it also helps everyone else.
“I think it just gives everybody clarity in the building and the guys on the team that they know what to expect,” Flacco said. “You can just dive in and know what you’re getting into.”
The change comes just a few days after Richardson subbed himself out of the game, which he explained was because he was tired after a play that involved him shedding off a defensive lineman for what would have been a sack and scrambling around.
Steichen said that the decision had nothing to do with Richardson tapping out of the game for a play, and Flacco doesn’t think that had anything to do with it either.
As for Richardson, Flacco thinks there are positives that can come out of this for him. He said that there are growth opportunities for the young quarterback.
“I think there are a lot of advantages of being able to remove yourself a little bit and watch from a distance and learn and do those things,” Flacco said. “I think that’s probably, not to talk for the Colts and Shane (Steichen), but you would think that’s part of the thought process, at least a little bit, is to try to help him out.”
Flacco and the Colts will take on the Vikings in Minnesota on Sunday at 8:20 p.m.
More Colts coverage
Anthony Richardson sees benching as opportunity to grow
Colts players react to change at quarterback position
Steichen confirms Joe Flacco is the starting QB moving forward
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