Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in Week 5, the second time the rookie has been forced to leave a game due to injury. Unfortunately, the promising quarterback is reportedly poised to miss even more time now.
Facing the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Richardson injured his throwing shoulder in the second quarter on a carry. He immediately grabbed his arm and was assisted by trainers into the medical tent and then the locker room. While X-rays didn’t find any issues, the Colts reportedly fear Richardson will miss significant time with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.
- Anthony Richardson stats 2023: 577 pass yards, 3-1 TD-INT, 87.3 QB rating, 136 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns in four contests
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Appearing on NFL Network, Ian Rapoport reported the initial diagnosis of Richardson’s shoulder was a Grade 3 AC joint sprain. He’s headed for an MRI on Monday and confirmation of the original diagnosis would mean Richardson is likely out for a month or more.
“We’ll start with Anthony Richardson, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Went out in the game yesterday with a shoulder injury. Sources tell me that the initial diagnosis was a Grade 3 AC joint sprain. That is not good for Anthony Richardson. He’s going to have an MRI today to confirm, but if the test confirms what the initial diagnosis was, you’re looking at a month or longer for Anthony Richardson.”
Ian Rapoport on Anthony Richardson’s injury
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr suffered an AC joint sprain in Week 3 and has managed to play through the pain in the last two games. While Carr has played the physical pain and limitations from the AC sprain have diminished Carr’s arm strength and his effectiveness.
Anthony Richardson injury news, impact on Colts’ offense
However, a Grade 3 AC sprain for Richardson would mean he’s dealing with a more severe injury than Carr. Because of that and his long-term value to the Colts’ franchise, it would be logical for Indianapolis to place Richardson on injured reserve. If that happens, he would automatically be ruled out for the next four games becoming eligible to return in Week 10 on Nov. 12.
A more realistic return could be even later. The Colts have five games until their Week 11 bye and then they return to the field on Nov. 26 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Richardson’s MRI confirms the Grade 3 joint sprain and the injury would typically sideline a quarterback for four-plus weeks, the smartest things for the Colts and Richardson would be to hold him out through the Week 11 bye.
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Fortunately for Indianapolis, it has a proven fill-in quarterback. Gardner Minshew has already started one game this season and attempted 14-plus passes in two others when Richardson was hurt. On the season, Minshew has a 68.7% completion rate with 553 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
The latest injury will also hopefully serve as a lesson for Richardson during his rookie season. While he’s played extremely well and is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the NFL, Richardson’s often sought contact from defenders and doesn’t protect his body. As the Carolina Panthers experienced with Cam Newton, that style of play can have long-term consequences for a franchise and their star quarterback.
