Anthony Richardson exited briefly vs. Texans because he was ‘tired, ain’t gonna lie’

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson briefly exited Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans. Although his reasons for the exit were unknown at the time, Richardson said in his media conference after the game that he was “tired.”

“Tired, ain’t gonna lie,” Richardson said. “That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was gonna be able to go that next play. So, I just told [head coach Shane Steichen] I needed a break right there.”

Right before he left the field, Richardson fell awkwardly during a scramble in the third quarter and was sacked by linebacker Jake Hansen. He then took a knee and tapped his helmet to indicate that he needed to be replaced.

Backup quarterback Joe Flacco stepped into Richardson’s place, taking over for one third-down snap in the third quarter. Although the conversion was unsuccessful, the drive resulted in a 37-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay.

Richardson had a dismal first half against the Texans, completing only 2 of 15 pass attempts and picking up 81 yards. One of those two completions was a wide-open 69-yard touchdown to wide receiver Josh Downs.

With less than a minute remaining before halftime, Richardson threw a costly interception to Houston safety Jalen Pitre, putting the Texans deep in Colts territory. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud made light work of the possession, throwing to receiver Tank Dell for the touchdown and giving Houston a 17-10 lead heading into halftime.

Despite his struggles, Richardson stayed on the field in the second half. He finished 10-for-32 passing for 175 yards.

The Colts scored a touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter to get within one score of the Texans. A fumble from Stroud recovered by Indianapolis gave the Colts a chance to score, but the team was forced to punt. The Colts had one more possession, but Richardson was sacked and fumbled the ball as time expired, sealing Houston’s 23-20 win.

With the loss, Indianapolis is 4-4 this season.