Colts QB Anthony Richardson injury timeline reportedly longer than expected

Adam Weinrib

Tennessee Titans v Indianapolis Colts / Justin Casterline/GettyImages

From the moment Colts QB Anthony Richardson went down grabbing his shoulder, sandwiched between two defenders, optimistic fans (and former NFL player Twitter doctors) were hoping for an AC joint sprain, rather than substantive damage.

While the Colts appear to have avoided a clavicle fracture or anything that requires surgical repair, it still seems as if fans who got their hopes up will have to suffer through an IR stint and an extended absence.

The reported initial diagnosis, per Ian Rapoport, is a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, which comes attached to a 4-to-6-week recovery.

An MRI taken Monday morning is expected to confirm this, though nothing is official until those results come back. Regardless, it's time to prepare for Gardner Minshew to be the captain of Indy's surprisingly frisky ship.

Sources: #Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson received an initial diagnosis of a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, which would mean he’d miss a month or more. He has an MRI this morning to confirm.

Either way, it’s likely Gardner Minshew next week and moving forward. pic.twitter.com/27Z04eGlJL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2023

Anthony Richardson MRI results: Who will Colts face with Gardner Minshew at QB?

Minshew made a positive first impression during Richardson's concussion recovery, and entered midway through Sunday's battle with the hated Titans to help deliver a crucial AFC South victory.

If Richardson misses all six weeks, that means Minshew will pilot the Colts through games at Jacksonville, at home against Cleveland and New Orleans, and trips to Carolina and New England. The Colts' bye, blessedly, arrives in Week 11, setting up a potential Richardson return the week of Thanksgiving against Baker Mayfield's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This isn't the news anyone wanted, and Richardson's enthralling rookie season didn't deserve a second, lengthier interruption. But Minshew is a luxury at backup that few teams have, and Indy's upcoming schedule is somewhat less than daunting. Just lean on Josh Downs and his world-class separation, and everything just might be alright.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way for 4 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast twice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for eight years. Previously, he was a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.