THE Indianapolis Colts made a gesture that seemed strange but was ultimately necessary. Anthony Richardson wasn’t playing badly, but it’s not necessarily clear if he’s the best option to help the Colts win now.

And if they didn’t feel like they weren’t in an immediate winning position, they wouldn’t have benched Richardson indefinitely. And to make matters worse, Colts coach Shane Steichen added fuel to the fire that represents Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

When asked if he thought Richardson would return for the Colts franchise, Steichen had an ambiguous, but telling, response. (with Dave Griffiths): “I can’t predict that, but I won’t lose confidence in it, I promise.”

We all thought Joe Flacco the best years were behind him then the Cleveland Browns showed us that Flacco wasn’t as clean as we thought. Maybe the Colts are hoping he still has some late-season magic left.

While Flacco looked awful in his last game as the Browns’ savior, he managed to show glimpses of his recent run of success with the Colts this season. He totaled 716 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Richardson has more interceptions (seven) than touchdown passes (four).

As good as Flacco is playing right now, this could ultimately harmed Richardson’s development. He’s a player who hasn’t played much football between college and the NFL. He needs representatives. He needs opportunities to grow. Pulling the plug now will not only kill his confidence, but thwart his growth.

Which is logical if there is the commercial buzz around his name. Because removing him from the starting quarterback role is simply telling him that you feel better without him. And not having the coach’s support either could mean he’s closer to elimination than not.

Not committing to Richardson’s future could be worse than not playing him now. And what happens if Flacco doesn’t take the Colts to the playoffs? Then a lot of drama was created for nothing.

If the Colts seriously consider a trade involving Richardson, they could be in big trouble. Richardson is not the problem. He just needs space to grow. And if the Colts refuse to be patient, then perhaps sending him to a new team to develop could be the best decision for both teams.