AUGUST 8: After Richardson downplayed the injury postgame, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes his X-rays came back clean. The young passer is expected to be back at practice without missing much time. This will allow Richardson to remain in the Colts’ QB competition.
AUGUST 7: The Colts’ quarterback competition received a pivotal update Thursday night. Anthony Richardson left Indianapolis’ preseason opener in Baltimore with a finger injury and appears likely to miss time.
Richardson suffered a dislocated pinky finger on his throwing hand, Shane Steichen told Colts sideline reporter Larra Overton (h/t the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson). No timetable is in place for the third-year QB’s return.
Tonight’s game represented an important window for Richardson, who earned the first start over Daniel Jones in Indy’s QB race. Richardson was to play roughly 1 1/2 quarters tonight, with Jones receiving less time. That order will flip next week, but the Colts’ second preseason contest may not feature any Richardson action based on tonight’s events.
The injury occurred during a David Ojabo sack on the Colts’ second possession, limiting Richardson’s time. Jones joined Indianapolis because of the starting opportunity in play, and Richardson’s injuries are a key part of why they pursued the longtime Giants starter. Jones’ path to a sixth straight Week 1 starting role became clearer tonight.
Richardson missed 13 games with a shoulder injury last season and dealt with multiple issues in 2024. Oblique trouble knocked Richardson out early in the season, and after a performance-based benching brought only a brief midseason Joe Flacco cameo, the aging QB was back at the controls to close the season due to Richardson experiencing foot and back trouble. This offseason then brought another shoulder issue for Richardson, who fell behind Jones after missing minicamp.
Richardson only started one college season, and that brought inaccuracy concerns that have not been resolved. The Florida alum’s woeful accuracy showing (47.7%) last season also prompted the Colts to acquire Jones as high-profile insurance. Leading up to camp, it looked like Jones would be the Week 1 starter. But Richardson had shown signs of life during camp’s early practices, drawing even with Jones ahead of this starting assignment. An extended absence would likely lead to Jones winning this competition by default.
Jones has also not been a beacon of health during his career, missing extensive time due to neck trouble and a 2022 ACL tear. The once-embattled New York starter made it back to open the 2024 season but did not last through November in that role, being released after a benching. Jones would move closer to the Colts’ job if Richardson sits during the team’s second preseason tilt, but this competition could certainly drag into the season based on the unremarkable NFL work each entrant has submitted to date.