When the Colts grabbed Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 pick in 2023, they weren’t expecting a four-game cameo. The kid had all the tools—arm, legs, swagger—you name it as the guy ignited hope among Colts fans. Then came the game against the Titans. A routine play turned disastrous as Richardson took a hit that left him clutching his right shoulder. The diagnosis? A grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing arm.

The promising season was abruptly halted, and surgery became inevitable. Fast forward to now, and optimism was in the air. Richardson was back, participating in OTAs, and the buzz was palpable. But then, déjà vu. After a practice session, he reported discomfort in the same shoulder. Further evaluation revealed aggravation in the previously injured AC joint.

To spice things up, or let’s just say to make things worse, the head coach, Shane Steichen, just announced that the third-year quarterback is dealing with a shoulder injury and will not participate in mini-camp next week. Brutal. The Indianapolis team will host the OTA on Thursday, followed by three veteran minicamp practices next week.

And the way things are shaping up, the 23-year-old quarterback won’t be available for the practice sessions next week. The head coach revealed that the quarterback experienced pain in his throwing arm after the team’s OTA practice last week. Though Richardson will not require surgery, the head coach didn’t shed light on the timeline for when the third-year quarterback will be back in action.

However, if the reports are accurate, the guy will return at some point during training camp. Following the conclusion of the three-day mandatory mini-camp, Shane Steichen and Co. will have a break before proceeding to the training camp. The Colts are expected the kick off their training camp on July 22. And Richardson is expected to return prior to the same. After all, the guy’s competing against the veteran Daniel Jones to grab the QB1 role.

Colts’ QB1: Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones?

“Holy sh*t, we got our guy,” that’s what the Colts legend, Pat McAfee said after Indianapolis signed Daniel Jones on a one-year $14 million deal. Why? See, in his second season, Anthony Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes, threw 8 touchdowns against 12 interceptions over 11 games. And yes, he was benched midseason in favor of Joe Flacco. That’s where McAfee comes in.

The former Colts punter acknowledged Jones’ struggles, no doubt. But he also noted the veteran QB’s professionalism, while taking a jab at Richardson. “Sure, he’s looked terrible at times. But he doesn’t have a 47.7 completion percentage. I assume he shows up on time to everything. I assume he’s a guy that will be like, ‘Yeah, I’m an NFL quarterback. I’m gonna be a professional.” Noted.

But ever since the Colts signed Jones, they’re stuck on whether to start with Jones or Richardson. Richardson, who still has to play a whole season? Or Jones, who’s in his seventh season but is hungry for an opportunity. Both the QBs are splitting reps at the practice sessions. But ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that Jones is the contender for the QB1 role who could thrive under Shane Steichen’s leadership.

“The Colts hardly seem thrilled with 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson,” Barnwell noted. “He was benched for Joe Flacco last season after briefly asking out of a game… “There are reasons to be optimistic about Jones. He was miscast as a $40 million quarterback in New York, but he can be an accurate passer in rhythm and should be able to handle Steichen’s RPO calls.” Jones didn’t have the best run lately, but the guy’s surely eager to start for the Colts.

The guy is coming after spending six seasons in New York and a brief stint in Minnesota. And he’s an accurate passer and is more experienced than Richardson. Sure, his 24-44-1 record as a starter is something that the Colts’ fans would want to avoid looking at, but the guy did have an efficient 2022 campaign (9-6-1). And get this, head coach, along with the Colts’ fans, are probably rooting for Jones to pull off the 2022 season heroics.

So long story short: while Anthony Richardson is expected to return by the training camps, he still has to make his way through for the starting role.