The bizarre Anthony Richardson saga in Indianapolis took another unexpected turn on Wednesday as coach Shane Steichen announced his intention to bench Joe Flacco and give Richardson the starting quarterback job again. All told the former Florida QB rode the bench for two weeks, watched Flacco throw four interceptions in two losses, and will now attempt to keep the Colts in striking distance of the Houston Texans for the AFC South title.

The decision from Steichen felt especially shocking given he said on Monday that Flacco was still going to start moving forward. In announcing the switch back to Richardson, the coach gave some insight into how the young signal-caller got his job back.

"The classrooms, the walkthroughs, the practice, the weigh troom, all those little things just got to be at a higher standard," Steichen said. "That's what was talked about and that's where we went with it. That was discussed with (Richardson) two weeks ago. Those were the conversations that took place. Over the last two weeks he's made strides in those areas. Big-time strides. Becoming a pro's pro.

"Is he a finished product? No. He's not. It's my job to help him get there along with the rest of the coaching staff. We've never lost faith or belief in him or his abilities. He's shown strides. He really has. That being said, he will be our starter."

The Colts are 4-6 and sit in second behind the 6-4 Texans in the AFC South. Their playoff hopes are very much still alive and will now ride entirely upon the shoulders of Richardson.

In six games this year, Richardson has totaled 958 yards passing with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's added 242 yards and one score on the ground. As Steichen noted, Richardson is still very much a work in progress at quarterback but the flashes he's shown could be enough to propel Indianapolis to its first playoff appearance since 2020.

All eyes will be on Richardson this Sunday when the Colts take on the New York Jets at 1 p.m. ET.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colts HC Shane Steichen Explains Why Anthony Richardson Earned Starting Spot Back .