Colts QB Anthony Richardson asks to leave game because he was 'tired'

HOUSTON – Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson left the game with a decisive deficit in the third quarter because he was exhausted after a series of struggles.

“Tired, I’m not going to lie,” Richardson said after the game. “I had to run quite a bit and I didn't think I would be there in the next game. I needed a break right there.”

Richardson escaped a sack, ran full speed to his right and was tackled near the line of scrimmage, then tapped his helmet, walked to the sideline and fell to his knee.

Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco came into the game for one play.

Richardson remained on his knees until after Matt Gay's 37-yard field goal, appeared to speak briefly with Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen and then went to the bench.

No Colts coach checked on him on the bench and Richardson was back on the field for the remainder of the game, beginning with the next Indianapolis series.

“No, he needed a breather,” Steichen said. “He ran three times in a row and it was third and long, so we said we were going to give the ball away.”

After a false start and an offensive pass interference aiding the Colts, Indianapolis faced a third-and-goal from the Houston 23-yard line, prompting Flacco to hand the ball off to Jonathan Taylor, who picked up five yards and Gay's field prepared goal.

Richardson's decision to withdraw from the game, even for just one play, was unusual.

Although players at other positions – defensive line, running back, wide receiver – often rotate and sometimes leave a game because they need a breather, this is a rarity for NFL quarterbacks. A team's starting quarterback typically plays 100% of the snaps when healthy.

“If he took himself out of the game for a play, obviously that means something was really wrong, he had sensed something, you know what I mean,” defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “We know he is a big competitor. He wants to compete, he wants to be out there. When a guy like him retires from the game, it must be something serious. He had to feel something.”

Anthony Richardson injury update: The Colts QB leaves the game after a hit and returns

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