The most recent injury updates on the Colts 3rd-year quarterback aren’t ‘dooms day scenarios,’ but also aren’t the most encouraging from the oft-injured young passer.
According to SI’s Albert Breer on ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson will get another opinion this week from renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who initially performed the 3rd-year quarterback’s shoulder surgery back in October of 2023 (via Stampede Blue’s ColtsFilmRoom):
“ . . . It was the second day of OTAs that they shut him down,” said Breer on Monday with host Rich Eisen. “He’s going to go visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache. I believe that’s going to happen this week to go and get it checked out.”
“ElAttrache was the one who did the surgery initially. So it’s just, it’s one of those when you’re talking about the soreness coming back in the shoulder, and no, he hasn’t had surgery yet, but he’s going to have more opinions on it. It just gets you worried.”
“ . . . When it’s a repeat, that’s where it’s like, ‘Oh boy!’”
“It seems like right now that there’s a really good chance that Daniel Jones is going to be the starting quarterback for the Colts in Week 1, and Anthony Richardson faces a lot of uncertainty going forward.”
While Colts head coach Shane Steichen indicated recently that surgery won’t be necessary for Richardson, there is currently no timeline for his return—although the expectation, at least as of right now, is that he’ll be ready to go for training camp in late July.
However, he may initially be on a pitch count upon his camp return, until he gets fully built up.
Richardson recently experienced soreness when throwing in his surgically repaired right shoulder during Day 2 of OTAs, and the Colts shut him down for minicamp as a precaution.
It’s not the first time that Richardson has experienced soreness in the same shoulder, as he had some pain during last offseason in June of 2024—while initially throwing in veteran minicamp.
The difference is that was just a handful of months after the surgery was conducted, this time, it’s now over a year and a half—which I’m not a medical doctor by any means, but maybe it wasn’t as expected this go around with the continued passage of time since the initial surgery.
At any rate, Richardson is losing valuable offseason reps in what’s been publicly declared as a wide open Colts starting quarterback competition between both him, as the incumbent, and his top challenger, veteran free agent Daniel Jones.
For a 23-year-old quarterback who had just 13 starts in college and has been limited to 15 starts during his first two seasons in the pros, and those are valuable reps he won’t get back—particularly for a Colts offensive coaching staff that’s seeking consistency and continuity.