High Stakes and Hot Seats: Colts’ QB Gamble, Bears’ Coaching Drama, and Playoff Dreams | MAILBAG

QB Chaos and Coaching Crossroads: Colts, Bears, Packers, and Eagles Plot Playoff Paths

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As the NFL season reaches its midpoint, the stakes couldn’t be higher for teams facing franchise-altering decisions.

In this week’s mailbag, we dig into the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback conundrum with Anthony Richardson, the Chicago Bears’ coaching dilemma with Matt Eberflus, and how both franchises are shaping up as they tackle big questions.

We also explore the Green Bay Packers’ underrated depth and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl chances, answering your burning questions as these teams chart their course to January.

Let’s get right to it, on this Football Friday!

Do you see Anthony Richardson starting again in Indianapolis? (StephenBurton86 on Threads)

The Indianapolis Colts and Richardson risk being the latest cautionary tale of a franchise selecting a quarterback too high in the draft based too much on projections built around his athleticism and too little on his production as a college passer.

It is difficult to separate Richardson’s decision to take himself out of Sunday’s game because he was fatigued from the reason the Colts benched him, even if head coach Shane Steichen denies that’s the case, just as it is to absolve the Colts’ organization from potentially bailing on a prospect at the position who has as much upside as Richardson does because they miscalculated and overvalued his ability to win from the pocket.

"Probably not,” an NFL quarterbacks coach told me, when I asked whether he thinks Richardson will ever suit up in a Colts uniform again. “That was the worst pick ever. I called it when they made it. He only made 13 starts in college with a 55 percent completion percentage? Come on. What were they thinking?”