Anthony Richardson: Thankful for last two weeks, they really opened my eyes

When the Colts benched Anthony Richardson and went with Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback, there was talk about Richardson returning to the job at some point but timelines were vague.

It turned out to be a two-week change in direction for the franchise. Head coach Shane Steichen announced on Wednesday that Richardson will start against the Jets this week and that the team intends to make this final quarterback change of the season.

When Richardson spoke to reporters later in the day, the 2023 first-round pick reflected on the benching's impact on him.

“It just showed that I’m willing to be a pro and I’m willing to sacrifice anything that I need to do for the team," Richardson said, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. "I feel like these past two weeks have definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to have the opportunity to do that and just take a deeper dive and look into myself and see what I’m made of. I’m thankful for these past two weeks and I’m low-key glad it happened.”

Richardson said he believes there is "room for improvement all around" and that his immediate focus is on "showing them I can do my work day in and day out consistently," which makes sense given the rollercoaster performances that he's turned in to this point in his career.