Here is the good news as far as the injury front on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. After dislocating the pinky on his right hand after being sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker David Ojabo in Indy's first preseason game, the quarterback was back to practice on Saturday.
Here is the bad news, and this could be far more of a long-term issue. Even though AR5 is in his third training camp in his career, he still has not mastered some simple techniques. For instance, had he made the proper read on the play when Ojabo hit him, Richardson not only could have avoided injury, but he probably would have completed a pass.
Many pundits have commented on this, but few have the credentials of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. Warner had elite arm talent, of course, but he also had a high football IQ. He was excellent at making quick completions because he often understood what a defense might do pre-snap.
Kurt Warner's brutal take on Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson is completely correct
Richardson has fantastic raw athletic ability, but he hasn't shown to be a smart football player. Warner implies as much in a recent breakdown of the play when Richardson was sacked.
The Ravens appeared to be showing pressure on the play, and Warner pointed out that there were hot reads to both sides of the defense. The Colts' play-call should have worked, says Warner, because the pressure came from Richardson's right, where Indy would have had a running back (coming out of the backfield) and a receiver open on short routes.
Lots of talk about the AR play yesterday, lots of ppl coming up w/ things that aren’t really things in overall scheme of protections… so I had to go a little deeper & show you how it really works! I love you all, but you have to trust I know what I’m talking about MOST of the… pic.twitter.com/i8G6Nrw8QI
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) August 8, 2025
Richardson, however, ignored the right side of the field and was locked into what was happening to his left. With two hot reads, a QB cannot afford to stand and try to let routes develop. He has to get rid of the ball. As a professional quarterback entering his third season, it is inexcusable for Anthony Richardson not to automatically do this.
Kurt Warner correctly points out that the issue on the play when Richardson was injured was the team's or a coaching decision, but the quarterback's lack of awareness in the pocket.
One reason he has been so ineffective, despite missing 17 games in two seasons due to various injuries (concussion, shoulder, oblique, and back), is that he doesn't make quick decisions. He appears to play in between too much, as if he is asking himself, "Should I throw quickly?" or "Should I try to take off and run?"
It is his indecisiveness and lack of natural intuition that are most alarming about Anthony Richardson's play when he is healthy enough to play. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback is going to create a lot of splashy plays, but he isn't consistent enough to get the team to enough wins to be a perennial playoff contender.