On the final day of Colts OTAs, the offense’s rhythm belonged to Daniel Jones. He dropped, fired tight spirals under pressure, while Anthony Richardson stood behind him—helmet strapped, right arm motionless, miming a dropback but holding no ball. Not the offseason script the Colts envisioned for their Year 3 quarterback: Richardson, the fourth overall pick, should’ve been pushing forward. Instead, he was stuck on the sidelines, nursing a sore shoulder and taking mental reps.

It was the latest reminder of how precarious Richardson’s young NFL career remains—overflowing with upside, yet repeatedly interrupted by injury. The former No. 4 overall pick has now been shut down again, this time due to what head coach Shane Steichen called an “aggravation” of the same AC joint in his throwing shoulder that required surgery and cost him most of his rookie season. After experiencing soreness in late May, Richardson was pulled from team drills and flown to Los Angeles to meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who advised rest over another procedure. Still, his timetable remains indefinite.

And outside the Colts’ building, the questions are only getting louder. “We know Anthony Richardson cannot stay healthy,” Rhodes Rants said on a recent Black and White Sports Football podcast. “I don’t know who gave Anthony Richardson the advice to come out in the draft. And I understand he got drafted third or  fourth overall in the 2023 draft. That contract, he has already made a lot of money. So it’s hard to say he did the wrong thing. But let’s face it, if he had stayed in college, he would have made a lot of money in college, too.”

The criticism wasn’t just about injuries. It went deeper, to the root of Richardson’s NFL readiness. “No doubt he would have been one of the best QBs in the last two seasons in college,” Rants continued. “I do not understand these teams that feel the need to draft or trade so badly that they are willing to draft a quarterback who has 393 college attempts and a 53.8% completion percentage in his last year.”

That last line speaks to a long-standing debate that still hangs over Richardson’s projection: Was he rushed?

For now, the Colts aren’t waiting on hypotheticals. Daniel Jones has taken complete control of first-team reps this spring and is making the most of them. Signed to a one-year, $14 million deal after being released by the Giants, Jones reportedly left similar money on the table in Minnesota for a chance to start in Indianapolis. Through OTAs and into mandatory minicamp, he’s seized that opportunity.

“He’s been great,” Steichen said. “He’s picked up the system quickly and has done a lot of good things for us already.”

Richardson, meanwhile, continues to work through another frustrating pause. His time will come again—but the Colts no longer seem willing to wait forever.

Zaire Franklin has nothing but praise for 23-year-old Anthony Richardson

Yes, the young quarterback has been battling through a tough stretch—injuries and inconsistent form have clearly taken a toll on both his performance and his career trajectory. But just when things seemed to be slipping further, support came as it always does. During an appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Colts QB Zaire Franklin opened up about Anthony Richardson. “I definitely see a growth in maturity just from, like, kind of how he’s moving around, you know. I think sometimes it’s definitely easy for people to judge young players just because you know, sometimes we forget what it was like to be 21-22.”

Zaire further added, “When you feel like with this age and maturity, you kind of got some answers because you live through certain things. Him coming to the league, he had to learn a lot of stuff on the fly. But I definitely see you know, just in him, his growing into his personality, growing into the type of leader, the type you know teammate he wants to be.” 

Richardson has missed 17 games in two seasons: 13 games in 2023 (12 for a severe AC joint sprain, 1 for a concussion) and four in 2024 (two due to oblique injuries, two due to back spasms). His 47.7% completion rate last year was the lowest among NFL starters.

Still, Richardson remains determined. In April, when the QB room officially opened, he said, “Everybody can look at the situation differently. I always like to say I’m blessed, honestly,” Richardson said back in April, when the Colts opened up their quarterback competition. Let’s hope he still has the same faith!