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By Joe Kozlowski
Sports Team Lead
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In the world of sports, there are a few dreaded labels that no player wants to acquire. Consider being known as a choker, for example. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is only a few games into his NFL career, but he's already being called "injury prone."
And while that's a tough pill to swallow, it's understandable. Through the first six games of the season, the rookie has started four contests. He left his NFL debut with knee and ankle soreness, missed time with a concussion and hurt his throwing shoulder. To make things worse, it's looking more and more as if that final injury will end Richardson's rookie campaign.
The Colts (presumably) won't be making the decision to shut their top pick lightly, and discretion is often the better part of valor. In this case, though, Indy has to walk a tightrope. While it wants to protect its $33 million investment, the club can't completely eliminate what made Richardson special.
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Colts Are Prioritizing Richardson's Health
While it can feel a bit crude to talk about human beings as assets or investments, that's what players and their contracts are to NFL teams. Given the hard salary cap, there needs to be a return on every dollar spent. Wasting money is a quick way to find yourself in the league cellar.
Through that lens, the Colts' abundance of caution makes sense.
When Richardson first suffered his shoulder injury, the club placed him on injured reserve (IR), meaning he'd miss at least four games. That minimum absence, however, is seeming less and less likely.
"Head coach Shane Steichen said earlier on Monday that the team was still gathering information and 'working through the process,' emphasizing that the 21-year-old's long-term health was their priority," Coral Smith said in an NFL.com write-up.
"We want to do what's best for him and this organization, you know, moving forward," Steichen said. "As we said, we'll make the decision when the time's right, and we're still evaluating that process."
That process, it seems, will include a lengthy layoff, if not surgery. Colts owner Jim Irsay told ESPN that the quarterback would "probably" miss the rest of the year and could go under the knife to better solve his shoulder problem.
"There's debate going, but it's probably going to lead toward surgery in the next week or so," Irsay added. "We're just trying to figure out exactly how and when and what we want to do and what Anthony wants to do."
Safety Makes Sense, but Richardson Is a Runner
Given the stakes involved, it's understandable that the Colts want to play it safe with Richardson's shoulder. The club wasn't really supposed to compete for serious honors this season, so discretion is the better part of valor. When you're paying a player more than $33 million and expecting him to be the future of your franchise, you can't afford to risk a career-altering injury during year one.
That said, though, Indy has to ensure that fear doesn't push the organization too far in the other direction. Risk is a part of life (and football), and wrapping Richardson in a protective bubble will take some of his talents off the table.
The quarterback is a big man (6-foot-4, 244 pounds), and he's more than capable of making things happen with his legs. During his time at the University of Florida, the Gator carried the ball 161 times, piling up 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns. His pre-draft CBS Sports scouting report made reference to "off-the-charts athleticism both in the pocket and outside of it," but noted that the signal-caller was a bit raw.
In the NFL, he's continued to make things happen. Through the four games of his abbreviated rookie campaign, Richardson has tallied 136 yards and four touchdowns across 25 runs.
Running, quite simply, is part of his game. And the Colts can't take that away from him because of an unfortunate injury.
Again, the impulse makes sense: It's about protecting an investment. And if you think a team won't be that cautious, history has shown that it can happen.
After Dak Prescott's 2020 season ended with an ugly ankle injury, both he and owner Jerry Jones spoke about how the quarterback needed to rein in his running. Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have taken quarterback sneaks off the table after Patrick Mahomes hurt his knee in 2019. Ever since then, coach Andy Reid has used all sorts of gadget plays in short-yardage situations rather than risk his star.
If the Colts try to pull Richardson back, however, they won't be getting the same quarterback they selected and spent a shade under $34 million on. Running, quite simply, is part of his game.
To continue the idea of return on investment, consider buying a new sports car. While you probably don't want to take a brand-new Lamborghini down a rocky dirt road, there's no point in owning the vehicle if you're afraid to ever take it out of the garage. There has to be some middle ground between risk and reward.
Given that the Colts have tapped Richardson as the future of their franchise, it's essential that the club strikes that balance. If things go too far toward either extreme—whether that means the quarterback is rushed back or is largely forbidden to run in the future—it will only be a waste of time and money.
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