Anthony Richardson on why he subbed out of Colts-Texans game: 'I was tired'

Another tough game by quarterback Anthony Richardson doomed the Indianapolis Colts in a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception to snap a two-game winning streak and put the Colts (4-4) further behind the first-place Texans (6-2) in the AFC South.

He also raised eyebrows with an explanation for why he left the game for a play before a field goal in the third quarter.

"I was tired, I ain't gonna lie," he said. "That was a lot of running right there. I didn't think I'd be able to do that next play so I told them I needed a break right there."

Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen said this week that they're simply looking for growth from their young quarterback from game to game.

It was hard to see much of that Sunday as Richardson struggled to move the offense for most of the game amid heavy pressure. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft was sacked five times and hit another eight.

The performance came after he managed just 129 yards passing in his return from a hip injury last week, but the Colts made two fourth-quarter field goals to get a 16-10 win over Miami.

Steichen was quick to defend his quarterback Sunday, saying that everyone needs to do better.

"We've just got to keep working through it," he said. "He's got a good work effort. He grinds through these things, it's a process, and we'll do it together. This ain't about one guy — it's about the team. It's always about the team."

Richardson has completed just 44.4% of his passes this season. But the dual-threat QB brushed off criticism of his completion percentage.

"I feel like I'm a great passer," he said. "I've been playing quarterback pretty much my whole life. I'm