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 got fewer starts than Bryce Young before being sent to the bench.

The Indianapolis Colts benched their second-year quarterback this week after 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, a Super Bowl MVP with the Ravens more than a decade ago, is 2-1 in three appearances with the Colts. He was 4-1 with Cleveland last year, helping the Browns reach the playoffs.

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

He became the fourth quarterback on the bench this season, joining Young, Gardner Minshew and Justin Fields.

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

Here are the teams that have made quarterback changes and those that could:

PANTHERS: Young has been benched in just two starts this season by first-year coach Dave Canales. 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 an injury to Andy Dalton and will remain the starter. The Panthers are 1-7 and need to know if Young has a future.

STEEL WORKERS: Fields was playing well when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin switched to Russell Wilson. He helped Pittsburgh get to 4-2, but Tomlin wanted to see if Wilson could take the offense to another level. He has. Wilson posted a 111.9 passer rating while leading the Steelers to two wins. If he hesitates at any point, Fields will be ready to go if Tomlin decides to make another change.

RAIDERS: Minshew beat out Aidan O’Connell for the starting job in training camp, but was benched after three starts. He returned when O’Connell broke his thumb. The Raiders (2-6) are 2-4 with Minshew and will likely return to O’Connell when he is healthy.

TITANS: Lévis should return to the starting position 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 starts and could lose his job to Drew Lock. Matt Freed/Associated Press

GIANTS: Daniel Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in the last three games and has struggled after a strong four-game stretch from Week 2 to Week 5. The Giants (2-6) are competing for a top 5 in the draft that would help them land a potential franchise QB. Backup Drew Lock isn’t the long-term solution, but New York could potentially make a move as Jones has a $23 million injury guarantee through 2025.

BROWN: An injury to Deshaun Watson forced the Browns to start Jameis Winston, a decision that should have been made earlier in the season. Coach Kevin Stefanski stuck with Watson most likely because the team traded a slew of picks for him and gave him an unprecedented five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022. The franchise has a decision tough to take when Watson returns from an Achilles injury. next year. Watson is owed $46 million for each of the next two seasons, but he’s been a bust.

SAINTS: Derek Carr missed three games and the Saints (2-6) lost them all to rookie Spencer Rattler. Carr is expected to return this week and New Orleans moves on to Jake Haener as their backup. If the team continues to lose, it’s possible Rattler replaces Carr to give the coaching staff a chance to evaluate him for the future.

Drake Maye took over as the Patriots’ quarterback in Week 6, although he won’t be able to play this week after suffering a concussion. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

PATRIOTS: Rookie Drake Maye, the third overall pick, got a 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 victory over the Jets. Once Maye is ready, he will play. The Patriots (2-6) need him as their franchise quarterback.

JETS: Aaron Rodgers will not be benched. The four-time NFL MVP finally showed what he could 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 rack up wins and climb 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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