INDIANAPOLIS — Anthony Richardson has regained his job as the starting quarterback.

Now the Indianapolis Colts hope he can help the franchise regain lost ground in the playoff chase.

After a two-week benching during which the 22-year-old was tasked with improving at the finer details of his job on and off the field, head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Richardson will start Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

“Is he a finished product? No, he’s not,” Steichen said at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. “It’s my job to help him get there, along with the rest of the coaching staff, but he’s a hell of a talent. Like I’ve said, we’ve never lost faith or belief in him and his abilities.

“He’s shown strides. He really has. With that being said, he will be our starter again. He’s going to start this week. He’s going to start the rest of the season, and we’re going to go from there.”

The news received a warm welcome in a locker room trying to shake off a three-game losing streak.

The Colts (4-6) sit one game behind the Denver Broncos (5-5) for the AFC’s final wild-card playoff berth with seven games remaining in the regular season.

When the move was made two weeks ago to install veteran Joe Flacco as the starter, Steichen said he believed the 39-year-old represented Indianapolis’ best chance to win and the goal was to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2020.

But Flacco turned the ball over six times and produced just two offensive touchdowns in back-to-back losses against the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

Richardson returns to the starting lineup with the team in urgent need of a victory.

“(E)very game from here on out is a must-win because we don’t have a lot of room left here (for error),” wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. “So we just gotta give everything we have every single day and start stacking these wins.”

Richardson has struggled with the passing game in six starts this season.

He’s completing just 44.4% of his passes for 958 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

But he’s also brought an explosive element to the attack. Despite his inconsistency, Richardson is still averaging a respectable 7.2 yards per pass attempt, and his 16.2-yard average per completion would be the highest in the NFL for a passer with at least 100 attempts since Chris Chandler averaged 16.6 yards with the Atlanta Falcons in 1998.

Richardson’s also a threat with his legs, rushing for 242 yards and one touchdown on 41 carries.

Indianapolis preached patience with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft coming into the season, and there was an understanding the team would have to live with some ups and downs.

A two-week stay on the sideline isn’t likely to change much about that approach, but the Colts believe they can win at the same time they’re developing Richardson.

He’s 3-3 as the starter this year and 5-5 for his brief career.

“I never doubted who he is,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “I’ve never doubted — I mean, since the day that he was drafted. I mean, I feel like I understood what this journey was going to take. There’s highs and lows that comes with a young quarterback. I just feel like this was a part of some of his adversity.

“This is a part of his story. This is part of his journey. A lot of great players have had to go through similar types of adversity. I think he is going to learn from this experience and grow and be better because of it. We all can be better because of it.”

Richardson echoed that sentiment.

He worked hard to make the corrections asked of him over the past two weeks, and he said he understands the logic behind the team’s thinking.

He also agrees the entire episode can be a net positive for himself and the team.

“Just show that I’m willing to be a pro, and I’m willing to sacrifice anything that I need to do for the team,” Richardson said of his objective. “I feel like these past two weeks, it’s definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to have the opportunity to do that and just take a deeper dive and look into myself and see what I’m really made of.

“So I’m thankful for these past two weeks, and I’m lowkey glad it happened.”

INJURY REPORT

Pittman (back) was estimated as a full participant in Wednesday’s walkthrough after missing the loss against the Bills.

Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder) also was listed as a full participant, and linebacker E.J. Speed (knee) was limited.

Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot) were listed as non participants.

Six players — including wide receiver Davante Adams (wrist/illness) and linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck) — did not practice for the Jets.

Five more — including offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) — were limited.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (hamstring/knee) was a full participant.