Colts' Anthony Richardson Rejects Injury-Prone Label Ahead of Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had an interesting response to those who call him injury-prone.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) rushes the ball Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts collectively held their breath when quarterback Anthony Richardson did not get up after a 14-yard scramble against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After missing almost all of last season due to injury, it could not possibly be happening again.

Luckily for Richardson, a major injury was avoided. Richardson suffered oblique and abdominal strains in the win over the Steelers. He is currently considered day-to-day, with a real chance to return to the field as early as this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But on the outside, the latest ding to the franchise quarterback has generated a rise from some about Richardson's ability to stay healthy. Sunday's contest marked the fourth time in eights starts he has failed to finish the game due to injury.

While Richardson ignores the outside noise, he is still aware of what is said about him. But Richardson is not buying into the injury-prone label. The Colts' QB1 made it very clear what he thinks of the people who try to link injury-prone to his name.

"It's football. I'm pretty sure if they got out of the house and came out here and got hit by somebody that's running 20-plus miles per hour every week, I'm pretty sure they’d be sore dealing with injuries as well," Richardson remarked. "People are going to talk. That's what people do. I'm not necessarily worried about it, I'm just trying to focus on getting better day-by-day.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) talks with Indianapolis Colts Shane Steichen on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Colts opened their week of practice on Wednesday, Richardson participated on a limited basis as he continues to recover. However, the Colts' quarterback is already feeling much better than he did a few days ago.

“Still a little sore, but better than after the game," Richardson revealed. "So, that's good news right there.”

Shortly after the injury happened, Richardson wanted to return to the game. He felt he could still contribute and fight through the pain, lobbying for head coach Shane Steichen to put him back in the game by telling the staff he was good to go. But after one play, Richardson quickly realized he would be hurting the team more by playing at less than 100%.

"It's always tough when you’re dealing with injuries because you want to fight through it," Richardson admitted. "I tried to fight through it in the game. My body was just like, ‘Nah man, you need to take it easy.’ I'm working on it day-by-day and just trying to listen to everybody and get the best advice.”

Richardson stated after the game that he could not accelerate when running the football like he had wanted. If he had continued to play through the pain, Richardson would have been much less mobile, inevitably leading to more hits. The decision was made to hold him out, and the Colts still came away with the victory.

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Over the last few days, Richardson has been doing everything he can to return to the field this week. The quarterback has been receiving treatment and testing the injury to see how far he can push. Things have been trending in the right direction for Richardson.

"We've been testing it. I worked out today, so that was a plus," Richardson said. "Definitely a lot of progress from yesterday. Yesterday it was giving me a little bit of soreness, but I've been progressing day-by-day. So, we're just trying to see what it's going to be like the rest of the week.”

The hope by Richardson and the entire Colts organization is that he will be back on the field this week in Jacksonville, where he can pick up where he left off in those two drives against the Steelers. Richardson looked much calmer in the pocket than in the first three games of the season. He was not rushing his throws but taking his time and delivering accurate balls to his receivers.

The result was a much more efficient Colts offense that scored 14 points on their first two possessions. Richardson detailed that he wanted to focus on letting the ball rip rather than overthinking during each play. Richardson accomplished just that and wants to continue working toward that performance becoming the norm.

“We knew they were a great team," Richardson explained. "We believe that we're a great team as well. I just really wanted to go out there and just master my game plan and just master how I play the game. That was delivering the ball and just managing the offense, and I think I did a decent job of that, but we’re still working – working on getting better and being consistent.”

Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) chases after Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) as he runs with the ball Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it is yet to be determined how much Richardson will practice this week, taking mental reps during those periods will also help him prepare to play. Watching a veteran quarterback like Joe Flacco is always a plus for Richardson, and he plans to use it to his advantage.

"Every opportunity to learn something is a great opportunity," Richardson stated. "Watching Joe practice, that'll be something good for me because I get to see how he reacts to the defense that we have called out there, but it's just day-by-day honestly.”

Everything is trending for Richardson to be the starting quarterback for the Colts on Sunday. As Indy returns to Richardson's home state of Florida, the Colts are looking for their first win in Jacksonville since the 2014 season. Richardson was only 12 years old the last time the Colts captured a victory in Duval County.

But if there were ever a time for the Colts to break the curse, it would be now. The Jaguars are 0-4 to begin the season and dealing with a plethora of issues. The Jags also rank 31st in the NFL against the pass, as they will likely be without their three best defenders in pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen (concussion), linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (foot, IR), and cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring, IR).

Meanwhile, the Colts have won two straight and look to have found their groove as a team. If Richardson can return and play like he did to begin the game against the Steelers, the curse could very well be broken on Sunday afternoon.

"I also heard about how we haven't won down there in however long," Richardson said. "We want to change that for sure. If I am out there, we're definitely working to change that.”

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