The Indianapolis Colts have hit a significant speed bump in their quarterback competition following the latest injury revelation about Anthony Richardson.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Thursday that Richardson aggravated the right shoulder joint he injured in 2023 and will not participate in next week’s three-day mandatory minicamp while he recovers.
Steichen said Richardson told trainers about soreness in his right shoulder after one of last week’s OTA practices, leading to an examination that determined he sustained an aggravation of the same AC joint that he had sprained as a rookie. The injury required Richardson to undergo season-ending surgery that limited him to four games in 2023, but Steichen added that he does not believe Richardson will need surgery at this point.
“Not going to put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing and then we’ll go from there,” Steichen said, via Holder.
In the meantime, the Colts will refocus their quarterback competition on veteran free-agent signing Daniel Jones and sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard as they finish OTAs. They also have second-year quarterback Jason Bean signed to their 90-man roster.
Anthony Richardson’s Injury Complicates Colts QB Battle
The Colts have been looking forward to Richardson — the No. 4 pick in 2023 — vying with Jones for their starting quarterback job heading into the new season, but the latest injury for Richardson complicates matters for him, a fact that Holder did not sugarcoat.
“The news is a major setback for Richardson amid the quarterback battle with Jones,” Holder wrote Thursday. “Richardson has already missed 17 total games in two seasons because of injuries, including 12 games missed because of the previous shoulder sprain. The Colts also benched Richardson for two games last season, briefly opting for veteran Joe Flacco.”
Indeed, availability issues have marred Richardson’s first two years with the Colts. His unreliable health is one of the reasons why the Colts opted to sign Jones, a former top-10 pick, to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. General manager Chris Ballard’s front office wanted a challenger for their young signal-caller as much as they needed a backup plan for Richardson in the event another injury impeded his development.
On the bright side, Richardson can still make up ground in the quarterback battle with Jones if he can return to the field in a timely fashion for camp, which starts July 22. If he loses too much time to his recovery, though — or the shoulder injury worsens to the point where he needs another surgery — the Colts may have no choice but to tab Jones.
Could Riley Leonard Push Daniel Jones for QB Job?
After Richardson’s injury, the Colts’ starting quarterback job might be Jones’ to lose.
Jones flamed out in his last stint with the New York Giants, but he started 69 games and threw for more than 14,500 passing yards in his first six NFL seasons. A clean slate with the Colts could allow him to revitalize his career, especially if Richardson — his top competition for the starting job — is sidelined for too long to meaningfully compete.
Of course, the Colts also have another quarterback in the mix with the rookie Leonard.
Leonard is far from the favorite to win the Colts’ quarterback job, but the 22-year-old is more of a dual-threat option than Jones and is coming off a career-best season at Notre Dame in 2024, during which he completed a career-high 66.7% of his passes and threw 21 touchdowns. He also set the program’s single-season record for quarterback rushing touchdowns with 17, rushing for 906 total yards to accompany his 2,861 passing yards.
While Leonard has plenty left to prove before he is ready for a true shot in the NFL, he should benefit from the additional reps he will receive while Richardson is sidelined. He could potentially even push Jones for playing time if the latter does not capitalize on his fresh start with the Colts and reverts to the poor play that ended his Giants tenure.
Colts Provide Update on ‘Major Setback’ for Anthony Richardson