AnthonyRichardson

News: 1 day agoHead coach Shane Steichen noted Friday that Richardson (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars.

Spin: Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Steichen also relayed that veteran QB Joe Flacco will start in place of Richardson on Sunday. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thus finishes his second season as a pro having completed 126 of his 264 pass attempts for 1,814 yards with eight TDs and 12 picks to go along with 86 carries for 499 yards and six rushing scores in 11 games. Now that he's been deemed out for Week 18, Richardson will turn his focus to moving past his back issue and approaching the 2025 campaign healthy.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Football fans are rightfully excited for this dual-threat signal-caller's second season. From Cam Newton to Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, there is a growing legacy of young quarterbacks thriving as fantasy forces thanks to what some deem the cheat code: Rushing for immense value from behind center. Based on his first three games in the NFL, Richardson was on pace for more than 700 rushing yards with double-digit touchdown production on the ground. After missing 13 games due to a shoulder injury, the natural question is whether Richardson's play style is sustainable on this hard-hitting stage. What isn't in doubt is whether the versatile talent is capable of delivering fun fantasy lines, as last year's small sample suggests is entirely possible. The risks are real, yet the rewards of drafting Richardson as a QB1 in the early-to-middle rounds could be league-altering.