When the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, the Colts could be without their starting quarterback.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson is expected to miss four to eight weeks after suffering a Grade 3 AC joint sprain to his throwing shoulder last week against the Tennessee Titans. Richardson has been placed on IR and may or may not have surgery on his injured shoulder depending on how the rehabilitation process goes.
On the play below, you see Richardson run the option keep to the right sideline, angling to try and get to the corner. He is met by EDGE Harold Landry chasing him down in pursuit. Landry wraps up Richardson and slams him down to the ground, landing directly on his right throwing shoulder. Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, writhes in pain and is eventually ruled out for the rest of the game.
Richardson has had some bad injury luck to start out his NFL career. He suffered a concussion in Week Two that caused him to miss the following week and now an AC joint sprain will cause him to miss up to two months of action. He could return as soon as Week 10, but should he require surgery or a more prolonged rehab process, his status for the Steelers’ game on Dec. 17 could very much be in doubt.
The rookie quarterback out of Florida has been a dynamic dual-threat, having completed 59.5% of his passes for 577 yards and three touchdowns with one interception while carrying the ball 25 times for 136 yards and another four scores on the ground. The 6-foot-4, 244-pounder is built in a similar mold to former NFL QB Cam Newton, a physical specimen who can throw the ball a mile while also a threat to take it to the house with his legs if you’re not careful. He does need to continue to work on his accuracy and pocket presence, but the measurables are tantalizing for what he could become with more development.
Should Richardson indeed miss the Steelers game, QB Gardner Minshew would likely start in his place. Minshew has played well for Richardson when he’s come into the game, winning his only start of the season while throwing for 553 yards and two touchdowns, completing 68.7% of his passes in four games. Minshew is much more of a pocket passer than Richardson, having the ability to improvise with his legs but lacking Richardson’s sheer athletic prowess. He’s far more accurate of a passer, however, having 25 career starts under his belt with a career 63.3% completion percentage.
