What We Know About the Colts QB’s Status

If you’re a football fan, there are few things more exciting than seeing a highly touted rookie quarterback arrive on the scene. That’s what the Indianapolis Colts faithful thought they had in Anthony Richardson. The Florida Gator showed plenty of potential on the NCAA stage, and he headed north to Indiana, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, his rookie season hasn’t gone according to plan. Earlier this year, Richardson missed time due to a concussion. Now, he’s back on the sidelines for another spell.

So, what’s ailing the quarterback? And, perhaps more crucially, when can he get back on the field?

Let’s break down Richardson’s current injury and what it means moving forward.

What Is Richardson’s Injury?

By and large, quarterbacks are protected when they’re passing from the pocket. Once they venture into the open field, though, they’re treated like any other player. That reality came back to bite Richardson and the Colts.

During a Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans, the signal-caller faked a hand-off before embarking on a designed quarterback run. While the play call wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, the result was anything but desirable. Richardson was tackled after a short gain and stayed on the turf holding his right shoulder.

To make things worse, the QB is right-handed, meaning he injured his throwing shoulder.

Richardson was diagnosed with an acromioclavicular (AC) joint injury. The joint is where the scapula joins the clavicle. He was placed on injured reserve, putting his rookie campaign on pause.

When Can Richardson Return?

Given that the Colts have hung tough through the early part of the season—they’re sitting at 3-2 through Week 5, tied for the AFC South lead—the organization will be keen to get its highly rated rookie back on the field.

But because Richardson landed on injured reserve, he has to miss at least four games. That means his earliest possible appearance could come in Week 10 (November 12).

It is worth noting, however, that four games is only the minimum amount of time on IR. Given that the Colts face the Patriots in Germany and then have a bye week during Week 11, Indy could hold Richardson out of that trip to provide him with a bit of extra recovery.

But even that isn’t guaranteed to be enough time for his AC joint to fully heal.

Adam Schefter reported that Richardson could be out for up to eight weeks, with surgery still a possibility. Colts head coach Shane Steichen understandably didn’t want to get into specifics.

“We’ll continue to evaluate that process,” Steichen said, according to NFL.com. “Don’t have a timetable to return.”

Gardner Minshew Will Replace Richardson

If there’s something of a silver lining to the situation, it’s that the Colts were at least partially prepared to replace Richardson. Starting a rookie quarterback is risky, and most teams will balance things by having a more-experienced signal-caller in reserve.

For Indianapolis, that means Gardner Minshew.

While he’s not exactly the second coming of Johnny Unitas, Minshew does have some decent NFL experience under his belt. He’s in his fifth professional season and, heading into Week 6, has started 25 games. His record (9-16) isn’t the best, but that was largely tanked by a tough 2020 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Thus far in 2023, Minshew has already stepped in for Richardson following the rookie’s concussion. He started in Week 3, throwing for 227 yards and one touchdown in an overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens, and saw significant action during Week 2 and Week 5.

Is he the quarterback destined to lead your team to the promised land? Probably not, but if you were already prepared to take your lumps with a rookie under center, Minshew isn’t going to completely sink the team.

If nothing else, his head coach sounds confident.

“It’s tough when a guy gets dinged up like [Richardson’s] been dinged up,” Steichen explained, according to the Colts’ website. “He’s obviously a very, very talented player, and it’s tough. But we have a lot of faith in Gardner, too, to step in and go operate the way he’s been doing.”

How Has the Colts’ Depth Chart Changed?

An injury, especially one to a significant player, can set off a chain reaction. The “next man up” mentality is something of a cliché, but that’s what has to happen in this case.

Minshew is now sitting atop the quarterback depth chart. Sam Ehlinger slots in as the backup, and the Colts added Kellen Mond to the practice squad to provide an additional security blanket.

Ultimately, the Colts Are Wise to Play It Safe

While he’s been banged up during the start of his NFL career, Richardson has shown plenty of potential. He’s been able to make things happen with his arm (577 yards and three touchdown passes) and his legs (25 carries for 136 yards and four scores), suggesting that he can be the franchise player Indy’s brass hoped they selected.

On one hand, that performance might make it tempting for the team to rush him back; if the quarterback is capable of making an impact, you want him on the field. But, on the other hand, Richardson’s early success means that you have to be careful.

The last thing an organization would want to do is damage the long-term viability of a player for relatively little reward.

And while losing is a tough pill to swallow, the Colts aren’t under much pressure to win right now. They entered the season with low expectations—ESPN’s preseason power rankings tabbed them as the 29th-ranked team in the league—so there’s no reason to force Richardson back in hopes of chasing a playoff spot.

If Minshew and the running back duo of Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor can keep the Colts afloat, great. Playing in competitive games down the stretch will only help Richardson’s development. But the focus has to be on the long game.

Winning a few extra games in 2023 probably won’t matter. Having a franchise quarterback healthy moving forward will.