Colts' Anthony Richardson: Produces three TDs in loss
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Richardson completed nine of 19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 29-27 loss to the Texans. He added 56 rushing yards and a TD on six carries.
Seeing his first game action since last October, Richardson struggled with his accuracy at times but also flashed the big-play ability that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2023 Draft. The 22-year-old QB showed off his big arm on a 60-yard touchdown to Alec Pierce in the first quarter and a 54-yard TD strike to Ashton Dulin in the fourth, and Richardson then displayed his scrambling ability with a three-yard touchdown run late in the game. He also wasn't at fault on his second-quarter interception in the red zone, as Kylen Granson stumbled on his route. Richardson will look to build on this performance in a Week 2 road tilt against the Packers.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Mixed bag in preseason finale
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Richardson completed eight of 14 passes for 86 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Thursday's 27-14 preseason win over the Bengals. He also rushed once for three yards.
Richardson played into the second quarter while Cincinnati rested its starters on both offense and defense. Seven of his completions came on the opening drive, which Richardson capped with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell. The good vibes from the first possession were quickly erased by a pick-six on the next possession, then two consecutive three-and-outs. On his fifth and final drive, Richardson had the ball knocked out on a rollout, derailing the possession with an eight-yard loss despite not losing the fumble. His subpar performance against backups Thursday suggests Richardson is still going through some growing pains heading into his second NFL regular season, but his unparalleled mix of size, speed and arm strength gives him an extremely high ceiling. The Colts kick off regular-season play Sunday, Sept. 8 at home against the Texans.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Not likely to face Arizona
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Colts general manager Chris Ballard suggested Wednesday that Richardson is unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Cardinals, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
The Colts are trending toward using the same blueprint as in 2023 with Richardson, which would set the stage for the quarterback to play about a half in the team's preseason finale against the Bengals on Aug. 22. Richardson logged seven snaps during this past Sunday's exhibition opener versus the Broncos.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Gets two drives in preseason opener
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Richardson completed two of four passes for 25 yards and rushed once for one yard in Sunday's 34-30 preseason loss to the Broncos.
Richardson played the first two drives, which didn't result in any points for the Colts. While his performance in this preseason opener was nothing to write home about, it's nonetheless encouraging to see the 2023 fourth overall pick taking part in game action again after a shoulder injury ended his rookie season in Week 5. Richardson will look to shake off the rust in the Colts' next preseason game, Saturday against the Cardinals.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Scheduled to play Sunday
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Coach Shane Steichen said Friday that Richardson and most other starters will play "a series or two" in Sunday's preseason game against the Broncos, Larra Overton of Colts.com reports.
Steichen said one or two healthy starters may be held out, but he clarified that his starting quarterback wouldn't be one of them. Richardson thus figures to get some playing time, though perhaps not enough to make him a good option for preseason DFS contests.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Won't stop rushing
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Coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that he won't hesitate to use Richardson as a runner, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan reports.
Reporters asked Steichen about limiting Richardson's running to reduce the risk of injuries, following a rookie year marred first by a concussion and then by season-ending shoulder surgery. Steichen said that would be like limiting Steph Curry from shooting three-pointers, and Richardson himself made similar comments suggesting he won't hesitate to use his legs to pick up yards. The 22-year-old's combination of size, speed and arm strength is perhaps unmatched in league history, and it looks like he'll have a solid group of pass catchers after 2023 third-round pick Josh Downs had a nice rookie season and the Colts added Adonai Mitchell in the second round this spring to supplement No. 1 target Michael Pittman. Richardson, meanwhile, dealt with some lingering shoulder soreness during the offseason program but now seems to be back at full strength for the start of training camp. The big questions at this point pertain to his durability and accuracy.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Will be ready for training camp
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Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Monday in an appearance on "The GM Shuffle with Michael Lombardi and Femi Abebefet" podcast that Richardson (shoulder) will "be full go" for training camp.
Richardson had rest days mixed into his on-field work during OTAs and mandatory minicamp as a result of shoulder soreness, but those bouts of fatigue don't seem to have represented an actual setback. Instead, the Colts are simply trying to take a cautious approach with Richardson as he recovers from October surgery on his right throwing shoulder. By the time training camp kicks off in late July, Richardson should be at full strength, but if he's still having to take days off at that time, it could represent more cause for concern. At full health, Richardson's combination of arm strength, size, and speed provide him with a tremendous fantasy ceiling, especially with rookie second-rounder Adonai Mitchell joining Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Should be ready for OTAs
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Coach Shane Steichen noted Monday that Richardson (right shoulder) "should be" OK for the Colts' OTAs, which take place in May and early June, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
"I like where he's at," Steichen said of Richardson, who is bouncing back from surgery that he underwent on his throwing shoulder in October. "He's progressing really, really well. He's just getting better and better." Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Richardson began throwing again last month, and, considering that, the 2023 first-rounder figures to be eased back into his on-field participation, at least initially. In any case, assuming no setbacks, Richardson is set to reclaim his role as the Colts' starting quarterback this coming season, with veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco now on board to work as the team's top backup.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Undergoes surgery
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Richardson underwent successful surgery Tuesday to address a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, Colts owner Jim Irsay announced via his personal Twitter account.
The Colts placed Richardson on injured reserve Oct. 11 after he sustained the shoulder injury Week 5. The surgery will end Richardson's rookie season, but the Colts are optimistic that he'll be fully healthy ahead of the 2024 campaign. Gardner Minshew will continue serving as the team's starting signal-caller in place of Richardson.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Season-ending surgery possible
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The Colts are "strongly" considering the possibility of Richardson (shoulder) undergoing season-ending surgery to address his Grade 3 right AC joint sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Indianapolis is reportedly trying to decide whether season-ending surgery is the best option for ensuring that Richardson is able to recover fully without setbacks, though such a procedure would end his rookie campaign prematurely after just four appearances. Richardson has already sought opinions from at least four specialists, though an MRI revealed the labrum in his right shoulder isn't torn. The Colts could feel confident turning to Gardner Minshew to direct the offense for the rest of the season, if necessary. Even so, if Richardson finishes his rookie season with just four appearances, it would give the Colts an incomplete evaluation in determining whether he's the franchise's long-term answer under center.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Won't return Sunday
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Richardson (shoulder) has been ruled out for a return to the second half of Sunday's game against the Titans, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Gardner Minshew will direct the Indianapolis offense for the rest of the day. Richardson finishes the Week 5 contest with nine completions on 12 attempts for 98 yards and two carries for five yards. In addition to missing the Colts' Week 3 win over the Ravens while recovering from a concussion, the rookie quarterback has now left early due to injury in two of his first four NFL starts. He'll likely have his right shoulder injury evaluated further in the coming days, leaving his status for the Colts' Week 6 game at Jacksonville uncertain at the moment.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: QBs to Start
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Richardson has been nothing short of spectacular to start his rookie campaign, and he just scored 33.6 Fantasy points against the Rams in Week 4. He also had 22.9 Fantasy points in Week 1 against Jacksonville and 17.7 points at Houston in Week 2 in just the first half before he suffered a concussion. His rushing production has been impressive with at least 10 Fantasy points using his legs in each outing, and the Titans have already allowed two quarterbacks (Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson) to score at least 25.2 Fantasy points this year.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Three total TDs in loss
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Richardson completed 11 of 25 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 56 yards and another score during Sunday's 29-23 overtime loss to the Rams. He also committed two fumbles, losing one, and converted a pair of two-point conversion passes.
It was a tale of two halves for the rookie, who was coming off of a concussion that forced him to miss the Colts' previous game against the Ravens. Richardson didn't find the end zone until the second half, finding Mo Alie-Cox with a 35-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter before leading a pair of lengthy touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime. Richardson's rushing ability through three games (23-131-4) helps give him a healthy weekly floor while he develops as a passer, and he may need it in Week 5 against a Titans defense that just completely neutralized Joe Burrow.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Practices fully again
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Richardson (concussion) was a full practice participant Thursday.
Richardson has turned in two full practices in a row, which has him trending toward returning to action Sunday against the Rams, barring any setbacks. The Colts will release their final Week 4 injury report Friday, when it will be known whether Richardson will enter Sunday's contest without a designation. Though Richardson hasn't missed out on any reps in practice this week, the Colts haven't yet confirmed that he's cleared the five-step concussion protocol.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Set to practice Wednesday
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Head coach Shane Steichen said that while Richardson is still in the concussion protocol, the quarterback is slated to practice Wednesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star, Richardson is line to take first-team reps Wednesday, which is a positive indicator with regard to his chances of playing Sunday against the Rams, barring any setbacks. The Colts will release their first official Week 4 practice report later Wednesday, when the extent of Richardson's participation will be known.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Targeting Week 4 return
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Richardson (concussion) won't play Sunday at Baltimore, but the quarterback is optimistic about his chances of playing Week 4 against the Rams, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
At this stage, Richardson -- who didn't practice this week -- remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, but if the quarterback is able to make tangible progress in the coming days, he'll target a return to action versus Los Angeles. In Richardson's absence this weekend, Gardner Minshew will draw the start against the Ravens.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Won't practice Wednesday
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Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that Richardson remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and won't practice Wednesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Center Ryan Kelly (concussion) will also sit out Wednesday's session, with Steichen adding that both players are "progressing well" as they navigate the five-step protocol. Richardson will have two more chances to practice in advance of Sunday's game against the Ravens, but in the meantime, Gardner Minshew is in line to handle first-team quarterback reps.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Won't return Sunday
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Richardson (concussion) won't return to Sunday's game against the Texans.
Richardson thus finishes up Week 2 having completed six of his 10 pass attempts for 56 yards, with three carries for 35 yards including a pair of rushing TDs. Richardson -- who was replaced by Gardner Minshew -- will now look to gain clearance to play again in advance of next Sunday's game against the Ravens.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: Not on injury report
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Richardson (knee) isn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.
In the Colts' 31-21 loss to Jacksonville in Week 1, Richardson came out of the game for the final three offensive plays due to a bruised left knee, but both the quarterback and head coach Shane Steichen downplayed the injury after the game. The rookie's omission from the Week 2 injury report confirms that Richardson is healthy heading into Sunday's game in Houston, where the rookie signal-caller will look to pick up the first win of his NFL career after throwing one touchdown and rushing for another in his debut.
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Colts' Anthony Richardson: QB Bust Alerts
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If you followed anything I've written or said this offseason then you know I'm excited about Richardson's outlook this year. But I want to see what he looks like in Week 1 against Jacksonville before starting him in one-quarterback leagues. He should still be started in Superflex and two-quarterback formats, and I hope that I'm wrong to put him in this category. Jacksonville's defense could force Richardson into multiple turnovers, and he might need to have a huge rushing performance to save his stat line in Week 1.
