The Indianapolis Colts are still fighting for a playoff spot heading into week 17. Throughout the week, there were questions about whether quarterback Anthony Richardson would suit up due to many injuries. He has been dealing with a back and foot injury, and his absence from practice has made many question whether the team would have to turn to Joe Flacco. On Saturday, the Colts made it official. Richardson will miss Sunday’s game, and Flacco will start.
Indianapolis Colts Anthony Richardson Out
It has been an up-and-down season for Anthony Richardson. Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen benched the former top-five pick for two weeks in the middle of the season. It seemed to have helped because when he returned in week 11, he was able to get the team back in the playoff hunt. Benching hasn’t been the only reason Richardson has missed games. He dealt with an oblique injury early in the season, which caused him to miss two weeks. Now, he will miss another game late in the year.
This was the concern heading into the season. Richardson missed most of last year because of injuries. One of the things that makes him a dangerous quarterback is his size. Similar to Cam Newton, his size makes it difficult for him to be brought down in the open field. In their win against the New England Patriots, Richardson bullied his way into the end zone for the game-winning two-point conversion. However, this does open him up to additional injury risk. It is something the Indianapolis Colts will have to manage for as long as he is the quarterback.
Final Thoughts
The jury is still out on Anthony Richardson. When the Indianapolis Colts drafted him, he was a raw prospect. Dealing with this many injuries in two years is not what fans want to see. Furthermore, his play on the field has been inconsistent. Fans have to hope he can spend the offseason getting healthy and improving his game. If the team is a fringe playoff team this year, they could surprise people next year if Richardson can improve his game.