On Sunday, rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson sustained another injury that forced him to leave a game. In the second quarter of Indy’s Week 5 win against the Tennessee Titans, Richardson carried the ball on a designed quarterback run, and was tackled by two Tennessee defenders. During the tackle, Richardson fell on his right throwing shoulder, and stayed on the ground.
He immediately pointed to the shoulder, and eventually walked off the field, holding his right arm in place very gingerly. Richardson didn’t come back into the game, and it has since been reported that the initial diagnosis is an AC joint sprain. X-rays were negative but Richardson will still undergo an MRI.
The initial diagnosis for #Colts QB Anthony Richardson is an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, per sources. He’ll undergo an MRI to further assess. X-rays were negative. pic.twitter.com/Syd7vgraL0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 8, 2023
Anthony Richardson diagnosed with AC joint sprain
Based on how Richardson was injured, this was the assumed injury. It has also been reported that Richardson suffered this exact injury to his throwing shoulder as a senior in high school. If it is just an AC joint sprain for Richardson, the next question is what grade is it, then, of course, how much time will he miss?
As with all injuries, there are several factors that determines a player’s return-to-play timeline. Everyone heals differently, and there’s also the factor of pain tolerance, which is unique to each person. The consensus, however, is that an AC joint sprain typically sidelines an athlete for a couple of weeks. But, there are also instances where players don’t miss any time, opting to play through the pain, usually with the help of a brace and injections.
The fact that the injury is to Richardson’s throwing shoulder is important, because the team will not want him throwing with pain. Additionally, Richardson is a rookie, the stakes are low for the Colts, and they have a tremendous backup quarterback in Gardner Minshew. All this means Richardson is unlikely to be rushed back. Hopefully, he’ll heal up quickly, and will be back on the field making plays.