ANTHONY RICHARDSON has been slammed by fans after taking himself out despite not being injured.
His Indianapolis Colts team lost 23-20 to the Houston Texans yesterday.
At a crucial moment of the game in the third quarter, Richardson, 22, shockingly trudged over to the sidelines before removing his helmet and leaving the field.
Fans assumed the quarterback must have picked up another injury as he was replaced by Joe Flacco.
But on tapping out, Richardson revealed after the game: “I was tired, I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did.
“So, I just told Shane Steichen I needed a break right there.”
The head coach Steichen said: “He needed a breather. He ran three times in a row and it was third and long, so we were going to hand the ball off.”
But Colts legend and pundit Pat McAfee hit out at the move, ranting: “I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson.
“The QB is your franchise. The message it sends is loud and influential.”
Others called it “disgraceful” and some suggested “next time, just lie”.
Richardson has regularly struggled with injuries, missing two games this season due to oblique pain.
But some fans are calling for the fourth overall NFL draft pick in 2023 to be benched for the Colts’ next game against the Minnesota Vikings.
