Anthony Richardson is not helping his case as he’s suffered yet another injury, this one a shoulder injury during voluntary OTAs. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS, it’s the same shoulder (right) that he injured in 2023 that required surgery to fix. It’s another injury blow to Richardson, whose collegiate and NFL career has been filled with them. More than that, it gives the Indianapolis Colts reason to move on from him.
Shane Steichen has already hinted that Richardson was on thin ice in Indianapolis, though he seemingly took a few steps back after Richardson was thrust back into the starting lineup after being benched last year. Now it seems his days in Indianapolis are numbered so I wouldn’t be surprised if his name is floated as a trade piece.
Anthony Richardson injury opens door for Daniel Jones revival in Indianapolis
Daniel Jones has patiently waited his turn. Instead of jumping to a quarterback-needy team after the New York Giants cut him, he went to the Minnesota Vikings where he was a practice squad player and never saw the field. That might be the move he needed to revive his career in Indianapolis.
At first, I didn’t understand why the Colts went after Richardson because it felt like this was the year they needed to stand by him. But after his latest injury update, it’s clear they simply can’t trust his availability. Now Jones is in line to replace Richardson before he is even benched.
Jones needs a team like the Colts. They’re young and don’t have elite weapons, but enough to get by. They picked up Tyler Warren in the draft, which will be a massive pickup for this offense. Unfortunately, Richardson may never get a chance to work with the weapons around him again. The Colts bringing in Jones makes it clear they are ready to move on.
Colts should seriously contemplate trading Anthony Richardson
You can’t blame the Colts if they do decide to trade Richardson at this point. It’s been a failed experiment. I was a believer he was getting the short end of the stick last year. But it’s becoming clear that maybe he was never NFL-ready after his one season starting at Florida.
Richardson was a player who always needed patience and time. He doesn’t have a lot of reps. He’s not helping himself with his fragility. The Colts deserve better and the fans deserve better. It’s time to close the book on Richardson and turn toward Jones in the short term.
This could be a silver lining for Jones. Because he was patient in waiting for the right opportunity, this could be the chance he has to have his Sam Darnold moment. To prove to his team and the rest of the NFL he’s still talented enough, he just needed a better situation. The good thing is in Indianapolis, he won’t have the pressure he had in New York.