Anthony Richardson, Colts avoid bad injury news after Week 4 exit

About a year after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson returned to the field with hopes of playing his first full season in the NFL.

Those hopes were nearly dashed again in the Colts’ 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Richardson left the game in the first quarter with a hip injury after slipping awkwardly and taking a hit from Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The second-year quarterback managed to get up and hobbled to the sideline before heading back to the locker room.

There were fears that Richardson may have suffered another serious injury that could derail his sophomore season, but the quarterback is expected to be fine. The Colts believe Richardson suffered a hip pointer and have decided to play it safe, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported Sunday.

Richardson was ruled out while Indianapolis held a 17-0 lead over Pittsburgh, but the decision was precautionary. The Colts quarterback believed he could have returned to the game and didn’t seem too concerned when he spoke to Wolfe in the locker room after the game.

Richardson said his hip was “still in pain” and he “tried to accelerate but couldn’t push off like I wanted,” Wolfe reported.

The hip injury appeared to be an aggravation of an injury he sustained after taking a serious hit on a 16-yard run early in the drive. The hit resulted in a fumble, but Indianapolis managed to recover the ball. Richardson left the game for two snaps before coming back in, but the pain was clearly too much to play through.

Colts fans can breathe a sigh of relief – at least for now. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old quarterback has a tendency to take big hits. In his rookie season, Richardson only stayed healthy for four full games. In Week 5, he suffered a season-ending sprain of the cruciate ligament in his throwing shoulder.

When asked about his playing style this summer, Richardson shrugged off concerns about his durability.

“I don’t think there’s any way I could have avoided what happened to me,” Richardson said in May. “Just a normal, routine tackle. I tried to brace myself for the fall, but only my shoulder did what it did. I can’t change that. Change my game and playing style? I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with my style of play.

Before his injury in Week 5 in 2023, Richardson completed 50 of 84 passes for 577 yards, three passing touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, he recorded 136 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 25 carries.

While his dynamic skillset makes for electrifying moments, Richardson will inevitably have to adjust some aspects of his playing style in order to maintain a reliable and consistent career. Last season, Richardson suffered a concussion and missed one game before suffering a shoulder injury. It is difficult to survive the entire season with such a style of play.

Richardson completed three of four pass attempts for 71 yards in his limited playing time on Sunday. He also added 26 rushing yards before being sidelined for the remainder of the contest. In his place, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco led the Colts to their second win, completing 16 of 26 pass attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns.