Colts internal talk over Anthony Richardson injury sounds concerning

The Indianapolis Colts got a glimpse of what Anthony Richardson can do in the NFL...then lost him to injury for what looks like the rest of the season.

Everyone in the organization is bummed about that but apparently, they don't all agree on what to do next.

Jim Irsay spoke to the media on Monday and updated Richardson's status, confirming he will likely miss the rest of the season. That wasn't the interesting wrinkle to his comments.

"Debate" over Anthony Richardson injury prognosis could be worry for Colts

"There's debate going, but it's probably going to lead toward surgery in the next week or so," Irsay said, per Stephen Holder of ESPN. "We're just trying to figure out exactly how and when and what we want to do and what Anthony wants to do."

Anthony injured his shoulder against the Titans last week. The team and player have to decide if surgery or just rehab is the way to go. It's just a bit strange that there's even debate. Holder cited "team sources" who said docters are "still in active consultation about next steps."

Is this just a case of the Colts being hyper-vigilant about their quarterback of the future, given the injury issues that ended the career of their last franchise QB? Or is Richardson's shoulder sprain so complicated that a handful of specialists around the country are disagreeing about whether he needs surgery? That doesn't sound great.

Or is Richardson's camp uncertain about what the Colts team doctors are recommending? Irsay said the decision about surgery ultimately lies with Richardson. Remember, Jonathan Taylor reportedly had a gripe with team doctors over his injury last season. So that could be an issue to consider here as well.

Whatever else is going on in the background, Irsay said the most likely option is Richardson undergoing surgery sometime soon. It would be more comforting if it was that straightforward.