Colts' Richardson after leaving game on 3rd-and-goal: I was 'tired'

Indianapolis Colts fans were apprehensive after Anthony Richardson came out of the game on a third-and-goal in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans.

Turns out he wasn't injured.

Richardson, who didn't miss any other play in Week 8, admitted postgame that he left the game with his team at Houston's 23-yard line because he was exhausted.

"Tired, I ain't gonna lie," Richardson said, according to The Athletic's James Boyd. "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."

Richardson left the Colts' drive - which lasted 10 plays - after carrying the ball on second down and being tackled near the line of scrimmage. That happened after an offensive pass interference penalty pushed Indy back 10 yards from Houston's 13-yard line.

With Richardson on the sideline, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco handed the ball to running back Jonathan Taylor for a five-yard gain. Matt Gay then nailed a 37-yard field goal to cut Indianapolis' deficit.

"He needed a breather. He had run three times in a row and we were going to hand the ball off," Steichen said of Richardson briefly coming out of the matchup, according to Kevin Bowen of 1075 The Fan.

Richardson did help the Colts score a 69-yard touchdown when he found receiver Josh Downs wide open in the first quarter, but the second-year passer finished Sunday's game with only 10 completions on 32 attempts for 175 yards and one interception. He also added 45 yards on the ground.

The 2023 No. 4 pick entered Week 8 with a 48.5% completion rate this season. He completed 59% of his passes as a rookie.