Colts quarterback flip-flop reminds long-term Chiefs fans of positional misery

The Indianapolis Colts made up their mind on Wednesday—again. Head coach Shane Steichen announced the team would start Anthony Richardson at quarterback for the rest of the year after a temporary stretch of leaning into Joe Flacco in the hopes of chasing wins in a season that could be slipping away.

For long-term Chiefs fans, the sentiment there felt familiar. It creeps in anytime another team is forced to make decisions between the lesser of two failures, or when it's obvious an owner, a coach, or a GM is scrambling to do something—anything!—just to stop the bleeding. Despite the sustained success of the Andy Reid era, it's likely a feeling that will never go away.

Long-term Chiefs fans will read Colts' headlines these days and recall similar days for their own favorite franchise.

For those who've come into the Kingdom within the last decade, the golden era is all you've known. Wins are expected. Highlights are aplenty. Hall of Famers mentor future stars. Championships are chased while the postseason is expected.

As amazing as that sounds—that your only experiences with the Chiefs are largely successful—the truth is that any long-term fan will instantly relate with Colts fans on a day like today. The wounds run too deep from hopes dashed and expectations unmet. It's in playoff meltdowns and busted draft picks.

During this current run, there's been no quarterback drama even when there could have been. The year that Patrick Mahomes was drafted created the ideal scenario within which QB drama and debates would normally live. However, the Chiefs made it clear that Mahomes would sit for the year and actually stuck by their decision. Meanwhile, starter Alex Smith embraced the end of his run with the team and helped mentor Mahomes in the process.

But things weren't always this way. For some of us, reading the Colts' headlines recalls painful days of yesteryear. The season before Andy Reid arrived in 2012, Chiefs fans were forced to watch the franchise flip between Matt Cassel in his final season with the team and Brady Quinn. The previous year included Kyle Orton and Tyler Palo.

During those years, the only consistency was the Chiefs' inconsistent play and inability to make the postseason. Such moves between quarterbacks always brought temporary hope—"maybe Richardson will play well this time"—even as we knew it was just more of the same. That's what happens when a fan base is forced to cheer on Tyler Thigpen for more than a single game.

The good news is that Andy Reid sounds like he's sticking around for some time and Patrick Mahomes is healthy and young. The dark clouds are still a long way off for Chiefs fans, so the current era will only further provide good times and good vibes for younger and newer fans. Here's hoping they never have to feel what it's like to cheer for these sorts of moves for their own team.