Quarterback changes in the NFL occur for a variety of reasons

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was benched after his 10th career start in favor of veteran Joe Flacco because it gives them “the best chance to win right now,” according to coach Shane Steichen. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Anthony Richardson made fewer starts than Bryce Young before being sent to the bench.

The Indianapolis Colts benched the second-year quarterback this week after making his 10th career start, including six this season.

The Colts (4-4) are turning to 39-year-old Joe Flacco because Coach Shane Steichen believes the veteran gives the team “the best chance to win right now.”

He’s not wrong.

Flacco, the Super Bowl MVP with the Ravens more than a decade ago, went 2-1 in three games with the Colts. He went 4-1 in Cleveland last year, helping the Browns advance to the playoffs.

Richardson, 22, threw just 393 passes in college at Florida before the Colts selected him with the fourth overall pick in last year’s NFL draft. Richardson has raw talent but still needs time to develop. He completed just 50.2% of his passes, with more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven).

Young becomes the fourth quarterback off the bench this season, joining Gardner Minshew and Justin Fields.

Young was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. CJ Stroud, selected second overall by Houston, is the only member of last year’s quarterback class to make it. Will Levis, the 33rd overall pick, is 4-10 in 14 games for Tennessee and has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.

Here are the teams that make a quarterback change and what they can do:

PANTHERS: Young has been benched by first-year coach Dave Canales in just two starts this season. He was 2-14 in 2023 and struggled to live up to expectations after winning the Heisman Trophy at Alabama.

Young returned to Carolina’s starting lineup last week due to Andy Dalton’s injury and will remain in the starting lineup. The Panthers are 1-7 and need to find out if Young has a future.

STEELS: Fields was playing well when Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin moved on to Russell Wilson. He helped Pittsburgh go 4-2, but Tomlin wanted to see if Wilson could take the offense to another level. There is that. Wilson led the Steelers to two wins while posting a passer rating of 111.9. If he hesitates at any point, Fields will be ready to go if Tomlin decides to make another change.

Raiders: Minshew edged out Aidan O’Connell for the starting job in training camp but was benched after three starts. O’Connell returned after breaking his thumb. The Raiders are 2-6) are 2-4 with Minshew and will likely switch back to O’Connell when healthy.

TITANS: Levis is expected to return to the starting job once he is cleared to play. Backup Mason Rudolph is 0-2 and the Titans (1-6) aren’t going anywhere, so they need to figure out what they have in Levis.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in his last three games and could lose his job to Drew Lock. Matt Freed/Associated Press

GIANTS: Daniel Jones hasn’t scored in the last three games and is 2-5. He struggled after a solid four-game stretch between weeks. The Giants (2-6) are vying for a top-5 pick in the draft that would help them acquire a potential franchise QB. Backup Drew Lock isn’t a long-term solution, but New York could make a move eventually because Jones has a $23 million injury guarantee through 2025.

BROWN: Deshaun Watson’s injury forced the Browns to start Jameis Winston, a move that should have been made earlier in the season. Coach Kevin Stefanski likely stuck with Watson because the team traded multiple draft picks for him and gave him an unprecedented five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed deal in 2022. The team will have to make a difficult decision when Watson returns from his Achilles injury. next year. Watson is owed $46 million for each of the next two seasons but is bankrupt.

SAINTS: Derek Carr missed three games and the Saints (2-6) lost them all, along with rookie Spencer Rattler. Carr is expected to return this week and New Orleans is switching to Jake Haener as the backup. If the team continues to lose, it is possible that Rattler could replace Carr, giving the coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate him for the future.

Drake Maye took over as the Patriots’ quarterback in Week 6, but will not play this week after suffering a concussion. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

Patriots: Rookie Drake Maye, who was selected No. 3 overall, got the chance to start in Week 6, replacing veteran Jacoby Brissett. Maye suffered a concussion last week and Brissett came in and led New England to an upset win over the Jets. Maye will play when he is ready. The Patriots (2-6) need him at quarterback.

JETS: Aaron Rodgers is not benched. The four-time NFL MVP finally showed what he can do for the Jets in the second half of New York’s 21-10 win over Houston. But if the Jets (3-6) can’t string together wins and get back into the playoff race, there’s no reason for Rodgers to continue playing and risk injury if he plans to play again in 2025.

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