With the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony Richardson and hoped he'd be their franchise quarterback. That hasn't gone according to plan but at least the Colts have seemingly found their franchise quarterback, even if it's not Richardson.
The former first-round pick lost the starting job to Daniel Jones, who now might be earning a contract extension with the team due to his stellar play so far this season. Meanwhile, Richardson's luck has continued to be non-existent. During Week 6 warmups, an exercise band hit Richardson in the eye and it broke an orbital bone, sidelining the quarterback for the foreseeable future.
According to Ian Rapoport, Richardson had surgery to repair the fracture and "there is a chance he returns this season".
Anthony Richardson could still return for the Colts this year
While Richardson won't be walking back into a starting job when he returns, he's undoubtedly a better backup option than rookie quarterback Riley Leonard, who has been elevated into the role due to Richardson's absence. Jones has played incredibly well for the Colts but he, like Richardson, has been injury prone during his career. Having Richardson behind him instead of Leonard would be a big boost for a team that is unexpectedly leading their division and could go on a run in the postseason.
It's unfortunate that Richardson hasn't worked out for the Colts the way the team was hoping but some good has come out of the offseason and that's been Jones' resurgence. Fans were not excited about bringing him in and were even less excited when he won the job over Richardson but all of those fans are likely thrilled to admit how wrong they were.
It'd be great if Richardson could have a full recovery and back up Jones down the stretch this season. Even if this isn't the role Richardson expected to have, it's a good chance for him to sit and learn and maybe help his career with another team if he doesn't stick around in Indianapolis.
Maybe he, like Jones, could go on to have a career resurgence of his own somewhere else.