It may be hyperbolic, but it may also be true.
Is the record skipping, or is it deja vu? Either way it feels like we have been here before. Not only have we been here before but we have been here often…too often. Anthony Richardson is hurt. I know…news flash. This has become so common during his short career that avoiding injury in a season, or offseason for that matter, would be more of the story. A reaggravation of the same A/C joint that cost him the majority of his rookie year has cropped back up. While surgery is not on the table, the timeline is indefinite. Whether Richardson comes back healthy for training camp and starts this season, the writing is on the wall; doom is near for Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts.
I can see the comments already.
“Why are you being so negative?”
“It is only June. What a ridiculous take.”
“Giving up on Richardson already? What a weak fan.”
“You are by far my favorite writer at Stampede Blue.”
Ok, that last one is a stretch, but you get the idea.
Richardson is young. He has plenty of time to figure it out. I get that, but time and opportunities are not extended forever in the NFL. This injury has now been added to a growing list: ankle, concussion, A/C joint, back, etc. We are now back to the same injury as before, and things haven’t even started. I understand that I get sore and injured from minor events like too much yard work or sneezing, but I am a 36-year old out of shape dude. I am not a NFL player who is a freak athlete. I expect my body to break down, not Richardson’s; at least not this early and often.
This injury in a vacuum is no big deal. An aliment in the first part of June would normally sound off zero alarm bells. This isn’t a vacuum, however. We have seen this before, and the pattern of injuries is well established. Look across any sport at players who miss this much time to start their career, and I can guarantee not many of them turn it around to be all time greats. Richardson’s career has been stunted from the start, and this year could look very different. He has competition in Daniel Jones. That is something he really hasn’t faced his first two years. Yes, he was benched for Joe Flacco for a moment, but that was about sending a message, not a true threat to permanently replace him.
However you slice it, this injury seems minor, but it is greatly concerning. I would love nothing more than to be wrong and this to be a blip on the radar for Anthony Richardson in 2025. I can’t shake the feeling that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and this troubling sign could lead to more. Once again, an injury in June, unless overly major, shouldn’t be seen as a big deal. With Richardson, however, any time away is detrimental as he tries to find his footing in year three. No one knows what will happen or if Daniel Jones will get the job and how he will look. As of now, the prospect of Richardson not working out and the Colts heading back to the drawing board, spells doom.