If you were looking for one of my post game highlight articles, or some other “normal” article I may write, you’ve arrived at the wrong place. Welcome to the newest Conspiracy Report where I, Chris Shepherd, will examine a nefarious plot and expose it for what it is. Now sure, I won’t be able to provide you any “proof” and no, I don’t have any sources (that you know of). What follows should be treated purely as entertainment that includes plausible (and not so plausible) scenarios that no one employed by NFL teams would ever admit to, and I accept no responsibility for anything you do with the information I’m about to give you. In fact, I accept no responsibility for anything you’re about to read.

This is all going to sound crazy… until it doesn’t. Buckle up.

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How Do I Know Irsay Called The Shot?

We’re going to get this one kicked off with the main point of the article, how can we be so sure it was Jim? And for the first of many times throughout this article we’re about to go back in time. Way back in 2001 Peyton Manning was in his fourth season with the Colts, in ‘99 and ‘00 the team had gone to the playoffs and expectations were high. Edgerrin James tore his ACL in a week seven matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs (if I remember correctly, I’m working off of 23 year old memories). The team went on to lose 7 of their next 10 finishing the season 6-10.

This is important because following this season Jim Irsay famously gave head coach Jim Mora a choice and it was his choice to make. Jim wanted Mora to fire his defensive coordinator (you may have heard of him, his name is Vic Fangio). But Jim couldn’t make Mora do it. It was, in fact, Mora’s decision and his alone. Mora decided that he wouldn’t fire Fangio.

In return, Jim Irsay fired Jim Mora and Vic Fangio both.

Back in 2014 the Andrew Luck fueled Colts went 11-5. They finished with a top 3 offense and a top 11 defense. In 2015 expectations were through the roof after going on a free agent spending spree bringing in Andre Johnson and Frank Gore amongst others. They went 8-8 and finished with the 28th ranked offense and 26th ranked defense. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was fired in season and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was fired after the season, the same men who had led highly successful units the year before. But Chuck Pagano got to keep his job. Interesting.

So what about Jim Irsay, Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson?

In Nate Atkins article about this very topic he says the following:

Steichen was asked directly about owner Jim Irsay’s involvement.

“He didn’t,” Steichen said. “We had conversations, but ultimately, it was my decision.”

So he did talk to the owner before he made the decision. That’s interesting too. But is there any other part of this that’s strange? What about Irsay’s old advisor, that guy he hired as interim head coach, wonder if he has anything to say about it?

It sort of seems to me that ole Jeff got going and then realized he said too much before trying to suck those words back in his mouth in the middle of his “I guarantee”. Interesting.

But is there anything else?

Oh yeah, 2022 was when Jim Irsay demanded that Sam Ehlinger be named the starter for the rest of the season before Jeff Saturday did one good thing and convinced him to keep starting Matt Ryan?

And I get it, this could just be some former coach with an axe to grind against a team that let him go. If only there were other odd things about this situation.

The head coach of an NFL team can’t speak for the team? So the speculation of the players being upset about Richardson tapping out, might have been a bit overblown? Either way though, even if he didn’t want to answer that question to feel like he was throwing anyone under any busses it’s pretty easy to just say “I’m going to keep all of those conversations that we’ve had internal” and then move on. But “I can’t speak for our team” really? The head coach can’t speak for the team? Interesting.

These comments were made this month:

“Josh Allen didn’t exactly light it up either right away, and he came on. So, you’ve got to just be patient.” -the organization said that THIS MONTH and two days ago he gets benched. The coach and GM have been in lockstep on Richardson since the start. So what changed? It’s pretty interesting.

Wait a minute. Team captain and wide receiver #1 found out about a quarterback change via social media? Interesting.

But maybe his teammates are actually out on Richardson. Surely an older vet who doesn’t have that much time left in the league would want to move on having lost confidence in him…

Huh, maybe not.

So it sure seems like some monumental change occurred and it wasn’t in the locker room. The coach and GM have been consistent for months and months about being patient and then 10 starts into the experiment, all of that changes out of the blue? If this were Steichen’s decision why has all of the information from the Colts been so odd? Why is the only message that has been consistent the message that Jim Irsay didn’t have anything to do with the decision?

The lady doth protest too much. methinks.

So if this was Jim’s decision, why did he do it? Why now? What’s the endgame?

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How Did We Get Here

Jim Irsay believes in destiny.

Jim Irsay believes that history repeats.

It’s difficult to pinpoint when this all started. I could go back to the fall of 2011, I could go to the spring of 2012 and both would be fitting to tell this tale but for the sake of brevity we’ll start in the spring of 2021. The Indianapolis Colts, in it’s previous three seasons, had gone through the excitement of Andrew Luck leading the team on a playoff run, the loss of Andrew Luck’s career, Jacoby Brissett winning 7 games as a starter followed a playoff berth on the over-the-hill back of Philip Rivers. That spring, an opportunity came about for general manager Chris Ballard and his head coach, Frank Reich. Reich had worked with quarterback Carson Wentz during his time as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. During their time together Wentz played the best football of his career and seemed destined to win the regular season MVP award before tearing his ACL late in the season. After the season Reich left for Indianapolis and Wentz continued to play and start for the Eagles. In each of his next two seasons the Eagles went 9-7 and Wentz’s play never reached the heights it did under Reich. In 2020 the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts and Wentz struggled on the field almost as much as he struggled to stay on the field. Following the season the Eagles decided to move on from Wentz and as luck would have it, his old OC from 2017 was in the market for just such a player.

On paper it seemed like a perfect reclamation project. Reich got the most out of Wentz in 2017 and Wentz, by all accounts, loved playing for Reich. Reich vouched for the then 28 year old passer and Chris Ballard put together a trade package that Howie Roseman accepted.

The 2021 season started poorly, very poorly. The Colts lost four of their first five games before turning it around in week six. They then went on to win 8 of their next 10 games and were staring down the playoffs. All they had to do was beat a mediocre Raiders team at home in week 17 OR win on the road in week 18 in Jacksonville against a bad Jaguars squad. Instead of gutting out a win in either game, the team collapsed in it’s final two weeks, losing both games and missing the playoffs.

Jim Irsay was incensed.

Irsay demanded that the team move on from Wentz and figure out a new path forward at the position. Ballard (miraculously) put together a solid trade package with the Washington Commanders and sent Wentz packing. Indy had traded it’s 2022 second-round pick to the Eagles in the package to get Wentz, but the trade had a clause that stated if Wentz played at least 75% of the teams snaps, the Colts would send a first rounder instead. Wentz, did in fact play more than 75% of the offensive snaps in 2021. Now, the Colts found themselves with no quarterback and no first round pick. Chris Ballard, Frank Reich and the rest of the team were as desperate as they could be for a starting quarterback, when suddenly a very over-the-hill Matt Ryan became available. One thing led to another and before we knew it Matt Ryan was on Jim Irsay’s jet and under contract in Indianapolis.

In 2022 the Colts offensive line played as poorly as it had since 2017. Matt Ryan was a statue in the pocket, couldn’t escape the constant pressure he faced and by November the team had sputtered to a 3-5-1 start.

Jim Irsay was, once again, incensed.

Irsay got on the phone and dialed up former player and trusted advisor, Jeff Saturday, who had flamed out as a high school coach and was working as an on-air personality for ESPN. Irsay asked Saturday if he would be willing to coach the team for the rest of the season and Saturday agreed, despite the fact that the Colts had a coach at that time. But Jim Irsay took care of that pesky little problem, making his next call to Frank Reich, promptly firing him. Irsay then made his move to hire Jeff Saturday as interim head coach in a move that is still to this day, the dumbest, most unbelievable event I have witnessed in my nearly 30 years of following the NFL.

The Colts would finish the season 4-12-1 and they landed the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Irsay has been directly involved with every quarterback decision since at least 2021 and probably long before that.

In the past Irsay has talked about history repeating itself (and it probably wasn’t just Grateful Dead lyrics) and no one knows the history of the Indianapolis Colts as well as Jim Irsay.

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The Past

Irsay has talked about stars aligning and fate and it has happened too often for him to not believe at least part of what he’s saying. So when you and I go back and look at the history of Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks, we’re looking at just that, the past.

When Jim Irsay looks at it, he sees the future.

Before I go any further, I need you, dear reader, to understand that I do not believe what I’m about to tell you has any bearing on the future. But I believe, that Jim Irsay believes it. I’m just here to point it out to you.

In 1956 Johnny Unitas took over as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Colts. Unitas went on to win three MVP awards, two championships and break countless passing records in his 16 year Colts career before injuries caught up with the aging passer.

In 1998 Peyton Manning, took over as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Manning went on two win four MVP awards, one Super Bowl and two AFC Championships in his 14 year Colts career before injuries caught up with the aging passer.

But that’s just two guys.

The Colts traded away a washed up Unitas in January of 1973. A week later they drafted quarterback Bert Jones with the second overall pick.

In 1973 Bert Jones took over as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Colts. Jones went on to win an MVP in 1976 and appeared in the post season three times before injuries derailed a promising career. Jones played for the Colts for 9 seasons and if not for the injuries who knows what could have been.

The Colts released an injured Peyton Manning in March of 2012. A month later they drafted quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick.

In 2012 Andrew Luck took over as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Luck went on to win comeback player of the year in 2018 and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, while leading the Colts to the playoffs four times before injuries derailed a promising career. Luck played for the Colts for 7 seasons and if not for the injuries who knows what could have been.

Well now… wait a minute.

In 1982, without a better option, Mike Pagel replaced Bert Jones. Pagel went 15-31-1 in four seasons with the Colts. Finishing one game below .500 as a starter in his second season as the starting quarterback for the team.

In 2017, without a better option, Jacoby Brissett replaced and injured Andrew Luck. Brissett went 11-19 in four seasons with the Colts. Finishing one game below .500 as a starter in his second season as the starting quarterback for the team.

I know what you’re thinking “Okay but can you do it again, Chris?”

From 1986 until 1989 the Colts started this weird multi-year run of oddball and retread quarterbacks. During this time they started the likes of Jack Trudeau, Gary Hogeboom, Blair Kiel, Chris Chandler and Tom Ramsey.

From 2019 until 2022 the Colts started this weird multi-year run of oddball and retread quarterbacks. During this time they started the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles,

Okay, so that brings us up to 1990 and 2023… Oh no…

In 1990 the Colts selected Jeff George with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft. George was a physical specimen with an impossibly big arm who came into the league with several pre-draft concerns on his college resume.

In 2023 the Colts selected Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick of the NFL Draft. Richardson was a physical specimen with an impossibly big arm who came into the league with several pre-draft concerns on his college resume.

Yeah, I don’t like it either, but it’s all right here. So what’s left before we make it back to the Unitas/Manning part of the Colts quarterback cycle?

• 1956/1998 Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning
• 1973/2012 Bert Jones and Andrew Luck
• 1982/2017 Mike Pagel and Jacoby Brissett
• 1986-’89/2019-’22 Jack Trudeau, Gary Hogeboom, Blair Kiel, Chris Chandler, Tom Ramsey and Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles.
• 1990/2023 Jeff George and Anthony Richardson
• 1994/???? Jim Harbaugh and UNKNOWN
• 1956/1998/???? Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning and UNKOWN

After the Colts had enough of Jeff George they signed another retread in Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh led them on a completely wild run in 1995 (this was the year I found the sport of football) before bottoming out in 1997 leading to the drafting of Peyton Manning in 1998. So we are currently at the Jeff George point in the timeline.

Again, I need you to understand that I don’t believe this list holds up. I don’t even think they’re great comparisons. The list of passers from the ‘86-’89 run are far worse than the list from ‘19-’22. Richardson’s pre-draft issues were much, much different than Jeff George’s personality defects. But I have to be honest, the Unitas and Manning, the Jones and Luck and Pagel and Brissett are all a little strange just because of the way the timing worked for that grouping. And well, frankly even though those other comparisons aren’t really good ones, it is weird that the franchise went through similar spurts of oddball starters sandwiched between early draft picks. It is weird.

But it’s not weird enough to do something as crazy as benching a prospect that just 18 months ago everyone in the organization was sure would lead the franchise to great heights even if it took a long time to get there. I mean only a madman would do something like that.

Does that seem like a man who would believe that insane list of quarterbacks was some sort of cosmic map of the future of his multi-billion dollar football franchise?

YES! ABSOLUTELY! HE IS INSANE! HE HIRED AN ESPN GUEST (NOT EVEN A HOST!) TO BE THE HEAD COACH OF HIS FOOTBALL TEAM! FOLLOWING THAT LIST AS SOME SORT OF GUIDE TO THE FUTURE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE LESS INSANE THAN HIRING JEFF SATURDAY. AT LEAST IT’S SOMEWHAT BASED ON HISTORY. SORT OF.

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The Tin-Foil Hat Final Thoughts

Look, I get that the whole repeated QB history thing is crazy. But Jim Irsay is legitimately crazy. And no one knows Colts history the way Irsay does, no one. He knows these quarterbacks. He compares players across eras all the time. Jim is crazy but he’s not stupid. I have no doubt he has realized the similarities.

The question of “Did Irsay have a hand in Richardson’s benching” seems pretty obvious to me. Jim has had his hands in every quarterback decision since Wentz and probably well before that, I just have no way to know about those. Given his history, the fact that Steichen implied that he talked to Irsay before making the decision and then the weird messaging coming out of the Colts facility right now leads me to believe this was Jim.

You might not believe me but I didn’t really know where this article was going to go when I started it. I knew that there were some comparisons to draw between some quarterbacks from different Colts eras, but I honestly didn’t realize how well they matched up. Now, I’m not insane, I don’t think that list and the fact that they match up the way they do has any bearing on what to expect in the future but when I asked myself if Jim Irsay would believe something like that, I had a hard time thinking he wouldn’t.

So there you have it.

Jim Irsay benched Anthony Richardson because he believes Richardson is the second coming of Jeff George and he needs to find the second coming of Jim Harbaugh before he can get back to the third coming of Johnny Unitas/Peyton Manning.

It sounds crazy, but consider the source

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Once again I would like to point out that this article and everything contained within is meant to be taken as entertainment. It is not an official report. The views and opinions found within do not represent the views and opinions of literally anyone. Thanks for reading.