The Indianapolis Colts head into Week 17 against the New York Giants with an outside chance to make the playoffs thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals beating the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Indy will turn to veteran backup Joe Flacco to get the job done as starting quarterback Anthony Richardson is out with injuries. Whether Flacco wins or loses, though, the Colts reportedly will move forward with Richardson as the starter next season.

“Sources say that the former first-rounder, who was benched earlier this season before regaining his starting job, is viewed as the presumptive starter for next season,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday. “In particular, Indy brass has been pleased with how he responded from the benching before Week 9 and how his attention to detail and preparation has increased as a result.”

The Colts drafted Richarson fourth overall out of Florida in the 2023 NFL Draft, so it is no surprise that the front office and team ownership are committed to the QB. That said, there are several concerning signs that point to Richardson not being a winning NFL signal-caller in the future.

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The biggest problem is that Richardson is simply not an NFL-level passer. He is 126-of-264 passing on the season which works out to 11-of-24 per game for a 47.7% completion rate. Nearly every winning NFL QB is right around or over 60%, so hitting less than half of your passes is completely unacceptable.

Additionally, missing the Colts' Week 17 tilt with the Giants further shows that Richardson is injury-prone. He played just four games during his rookie season and is now missing more time this year. Despite his 6-foot-4, 244-pound frame, Richardson's body has yet to prove it can stand up to the rigors of an 18-plus-game NFL schedule.

Finally, Richardson taking himself out of a game in a big spot earlier this season because he was tired is still a major red flag. Yes, he's responded well coming back from the benching that resulted, but he still has a long way to go to show that he has the leadership skills and mental toughness it takes to succeed as an NFL QB.