With the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft earlier this year, the Indianapolis Colts decided to take a chance on former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Unsurprisingly, Richardson was named the Colts’ Week 1 starter before the beginning of the 2023 regular season, and in his four appearances with the team this year, he’s made a number of plays that lived up to the expectations he was given as a top-five draft pick.
Unfortunately, Indianapolis’ rookie quarterback sustained a shoulder injury during the team’s win last week, and according to a recent report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the injury could potentially keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2023 season (via Dov Kleiman).
REPORT: #Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson is strongly considering season-ending shoulder surgery, per @RapSheet
Richardson and the team sought 4-5 opinions on his shoulder and a surgery is deemed by some as the best option to fully heal his right throwing shoulder.
More on… https://t.co/YM81enHJXX pic.twitter.com/65FvizHpE3
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 15, 2023
Surgery on Richardson’s shoulder could apparently give his injury the best chance to heal completely, but this path to recovery would also prevent him from playing another game for the Colts this year.
The report is certainly disappointing for the Indianapolis fan base, but in terms of what’s best for Richardson’s pro career, surgery will likely be the best decision in order to help prevent a similar injury from happening again in the near future.
In his place, the Colts would likely stick with backup Gardner Minshew as their starter for the rest of the 2023 campaign.
But even if their rookie quarterback has to miss the remainder of the 2023 season, Indianapolis might still have a chance to compete for the AFC South title.
With a 3-2 record heading into Week 6, the Colts are currently tied for first place in their division with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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