The Indianapolis Colts have looked like a very exciting offensive team when young quarterback Anthony Richardson is performing at the peak of his powers, but his first two seasons in the NFL have often been marred by injury. The injury bug reared its head its head once again.
The inconsistent Richardson was knocked out of the Colts' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after taking a hard hit on a scramble. Richardson immediately grabbed his left hip. Backup Joe Flacco came into the game, but fans were optimistic after Richardson managed to trot back onto the field.
However, Richardson ran the ball as soon as he got back in. This led to Steelers defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick hitting Richardson hard once more, which prompted Flacco to come back into the game. Any optimism was quickly dashed when No. 5 was knocked out of yet another game.
Richardson officially headed to the Colts' locker room after the second hit. He has been deemed questionable to return with a hip injury. This back-and-forth yo-yo-ing has Colts fans remembering 2023, when Gardner Minshew ended up playing most of the season after Richardson was hurt.
Colts say QB Anthony Richardson has a hip injury and is questionable to return today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 29, 2024
Anthony Richardson injury update: Colts QB out for the remainder of the game
Richardson did eventually manage to jog back onto the sideline, and Flacco was still on the field as the Colts started driving down the field. Before the second quarter was halfway over, Richardson was officially ruled out for the rest of the game, though he remained on the sideline.
Flacco made some big plays as he stood in for Richardson, throwing a touchdown pass to Josh Downs that put Indianapolis up 14-0 against a previously unbeaten Steelers team. Flacco helped the Colts get back into the red zone, which set up a field goal that raised the lead to 17-0.
Both quarterbacks managed to make plays against a defense that was playing at a league-best clip.
Richardson is clearly who the Colts want to see; however. Indianapolis built their entire offense around his big arm and mobility. While Flacco can throw the ball with the best of them, Richardson has the high-end potential Indy needs to make some noise. Hopefully, the reports on his health come back promising.