Anthony Richardson’s comments on injury should terrify Colts fans

Seven months after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson returned to the practice field for organized team activities.

Indianapolis couldn't have been more ecstatic to select Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Since Andrew Luck's shocking retirement, the Colts have gone through a carousel of quarterbacks and coaches, hunting for discarded veterans and toiling for hidden gems. Richardson, the Colts hoped, would bring stability back to their storied franchise.

With a slew of young playmakers and head coach Shane Steichen's scheme, Richardson hit the ground running in his rookie campaign. Richardson looked as dynamic and electrifying as advertised. He completed 50 of 84 passes for 577 yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception. On the ground, he added 136 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 25 carries. Then, his season was cut short by a shoulder injury.

Anthony Richardson doesn't plan on changing his play style

Richardson discussed his injury and rehab process with reporters during the Colts' offseason workouts on Wednesday. The 22-year-old quarterback shrugged off the concerns about his durability when he was asked if he considered changing his playing style to avoid injuries.

"I don't think there's any way I could have avoided what happened to me," Richardson said. "Just a regular, routine tackle. I tried to brace myself for the fall and just my shoulder did what it did. There's nothing I could do about that."

Richardson suffered the season-ending injury in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. Near the end of the first half, Richardson kept the ball on a shotgun zone-read play. He likely should've handed it off since the offensive line got a good push, but he tried to run wide around Titans linebacker Harold Landry. Ultimately, Richardson was chased down by Landry, who hit Richardson's left side and drove him down. The rookie quarterback fell onto his right shoulder and suffered a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.

"Changing my game and my play style? I don't feel like there's anything wrong with my play style," Richardson said. "People see me, I'm a big quarterback, so they always think, 'Oh, he wants to run the ball all the time, he wants to be physical and that's what's gonna get him hurt.' But that's not the case. The times I did get hurt… The one time, the one concussion, that was me completely ... Everything else, it just happened because we play a dangerous game, and there's nothing I can do about that."

In his four games, Richardson suffered a concussion, missed one game, and then hurt his shoulder. It's tough to survive through the entirety of a season and have an extended career with that type of playing style. The Colts are familiar with injuries hampering a promising quarterback's career — just look at Andrew Luck.

"But necessarily changing my play? I don't think I'm gonna change it, but being smart, knowing when to get extra yards and knowing when to get down, I feel like I know how to do that," Richardson added. "It's just I have to do it and do it at the right time, I guess. I don't know if I'm gonna change my game, but being smarter for the team, of course."

For now, Richardson is feeling healthy. He feels more comfortable in Steichen's scheme and has a better grasp of life as a professional athlete. Steichen noted that Richardson displayed "accelerated vision" and magnetic leadership traits.

If the Colts want to compete against the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, they'll need Richardson to stay healthy.