Quarterback Anthony Richardson will not play on Week 18, putting an end to his second season.
Ahead of the Colts' Week 17 game against the New York Giants, head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson was dealing with soreness in his back and foot, and may not be able to play. Little else was said until after the Colts' loss to the Giants, in which Steichen refused to make Richardson available to reporters.
Leaks began to trickle through, with sources saying Steichen far downplayed just how injured Richardson really was. Those sources began pointing out that Richardson, in actuality, was having back spasms. When Richardson finally was able to speak to the media, he explained that he was having a disc issue so severe, he couldn't even walk for part of the week. “Last week was tough,” he told reporters. “I couldn’t even stand up on Tuesday, I could barely even walk, was crawling around the house, but I’m standing now. If I can do everything in my power to get on the field, I’m going to do so. That was my plan last week, as well, but I could barely move.”
Steichen shrugged that off, saying that he just wanted to keep the information "in house." Why details of an injury would need to be kept "in house" were not explained by Steichen.
Wednesday, the Colts held only a walkthrough, with estimations of how players would participate if it had been a full practice. Richardson was declared DNP -- did not practice -- though the Colts said they were still hopeful he would be able to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a major divisional rival.
But within 24 hours, Richardson was ruled out.
#Colts QB Anthony Richardson (back) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game against the #Jaguars, per Indy HC Shane Steichen.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 3, 2025
Richardson’s second season is over.
Following his benching in Week 11, Richardson did show signs of improved play, despite having little help from his offensive line and receivers. His best performance was against the New York Jets, where he completed 20-of-30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers.
However, the Colts will n ow have to contend with Richardson's reputation as being injury-prone; he's been able to start just 16 out of a possible 34 games over his two seasons in the NFL. Yet the question surely cannot be ignored about Richardson; will he still be considered the future of the franchise?
Ian Rapoport wrote that Richardson is still the presumptive starter for 2025. But if rumors about the future of general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are true, and both are fired when this season ends, Richardson may find himself without a starting position in the 2025 season after all.