According to Mike Florio, the Colts don’t know when or even if QB Anthony Richardson will be cleared to return from an orbital bone fracture this season.
Richardson suffered the injury in an accident with elastic bands that broke and sent equipment flying into his face during a workout before a game.
Colts HC Shane Steichen said recently that he had not yet been cleared to return to football activities.
“It’s an eye issue,” Steichen said, via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “We’re just waiting for that to get clearance. Any time you’re dealing with an eye, you want to make sure he’s got full vision in that eye. He’s resting it right now.”
The injury to Colts QB Daniel Jones, which appears to be a torn Achilles, would have presented an opportunity for Richardson to get back into the lineup after losing the competition for the job this summer. But since he’s sidelined, Indianapolis will turn to sixth-round QB Riley Leonard, leaving them perilously thin at the most important position on the field.
The situation adds a new wrinkle to Richardson’s future in Indianapolis, as Jones had seemingly cemented himself as the long-term starter. The Colts could have looked to trade Richardson next year, and the former first-rounder would reportedly welcome a change of scenery to a team on the McVay coaching tree.
Instead, Richardson could be an option to remain as an insurance policy for Jones in 2026, although he does still need to prove he’s someone the team could count on.
Richardson, 23, declared for the draft following his redshirt sophomore season in 2022 and his first as a full-time starter at Florida. The Colts selected him with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
He signed a four-year, $36,874,031 contract with a $23,817,477 signing bonus and will carry a $6,704,369 cap figure for the 2023 season. The Colts will also have a fifth-year option to decide on in 2026.
Richardson underwent season-ending shoulder surgery to repair his AC joint after going down in Week 5 of his rookie year.
In 2025, Richardson has appeared in two games and completed one of his two pass attempts for nine yards.
We’ll have more on Richardson as the news is available.
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