Anthony Richardson‘s rookie season has been paused due to a shoulder injury, and it’s unclear just how long he’ll be out of action.
The Colts officially placed Richardson on injured reserve on Wednesday, guaranteeing he’ll miss at least a month after he suffered what NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported to be a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in Indianapolis’ Week 5 win over Tennessee. The four weeks required by IR might not be all, though, according to Colts head coach Shane Steichen.
“Steichen stated on Wednesday, “We will persist in assessing that procedure. We don’t have a schedule for returning.”
Steichen was quite elusive about everything related to Richardson’s health, informing reporters that the Colts will consider “everything” when it comes to treatment options, surgery included.
“Let’s wait and see the final decision from the doctors,” said Steichen.
Richardson’s shoulder injury forced him out of action fairly early in the Week 5 game against Tennessee, marking the third instance this season in which he departed due to health reasons. A concussion suffered in Week 2 required the Colts to turn to veteran backup Gardner Minshew, who started in place of Richardson in Week 3, helping Indianapolis to an overtime victory over the Ravens. Minshew was called upon once again in Week 5, and managed to outlast the Titans for Indianapolis’ third win of the 2023 season.
Richardson also watched the final moments of the Colts’ season-opening loss to the Jaguars to what was described as knee soreness.
Minshew has experience as both a starter and backup, manning the top job in Jacksonville in 2019 and part of 2020 before moving onto Philadelphia, where he backed up Jalen Hurts in 2021 and 2022. Minshew went 0-2 as a starter last season, but is 1-0 in starts in 2023.
Though Minshew may not be an extraordinary quarterback, his contributions have been sufficient to aid the Colts in their victories this season. Steichen acknowledges that the Colts lack an alternative at the moment, but he unhesitatingly expressed faith in the 27-year-old quarterback.
“Having a veteran like Gardner, who has consistently performed at a high level, definitely makes things easier,” said Steichen on Wednesday. “As I mentioned before, both the team and coaches have great confidence in his ability to perform exceptionally well.”
The Colts are assuredly disheartened by the loss of Richardson, a potentially promising solution they’ve been eagerly searching for since the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck just prior to the commencement of the 2019 season. Demonstrating prowess with both his arm and legs, Richardson showed himself to be a unique talent in merely the initial games of his promising career. This led some to consider him as a potential contender for the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The campaign has been temporarily suspended. The Colts are banking on Minshew’s performance to maintain their positive stride for at least the following month, if not more.
