It was reported over the weekend that Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson was in jeopardy of missing the remainder of the season.
Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder during a Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans. At least initially, it seemed to be a multi-week injury.
Now, it’s looking more and more like Richardson will have to undergo surgery and miss the remainder of his rookie campaign. Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed that on Monday.
“The most likelihood is he’s probably going to be gone for the year,” Irsay said, via ESPN.com. “I mean, it’s not definite but [he] probably misses this year and we’re going to have to contend with that factor.”
- Anthony Richardson stats 2023:Â 577 pass yards, 3-1 TD-INT, 87.3 QB rating, 136 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns in four games
As you can see, Richardson was playing at a high level before suffering said injury. With the No. 4 pick sidelined Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, veteran backup Gardner Minshew threw three interceptions in a 37-20 loss.
Despite Minshew’s struggles, the Colts have to protect their long-term investment in Richardson. Irsay knows that full well.
“There’s debate going, but it’s probably going to lead toward surgery in the next week or so,” Irsay said. “We’re just trying to figure out exactly how and when and what we want to do and what Anthony wants to do.”
The rookie was initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC sprain in his shoulder. Typically, injuries of this ilk forces a quarterback to miss at least six weeks.
But the Colts in a much different situation when it comes to the rookie from Florida. They do not want to rush him back and create the possibility of an even longer-term injury.
The Indianapolis Colts find themselves at 3-3 on the season heading into its Week 7 matchup against a dominant Cleveland Browns defense. At least for now, it will be Minshew tasked with doing his thing under center.