Am leaving “I need a better life and better team to hold on to, Shaquille Leonard announced due to…

Colts’ Anthony Richardson Rehabs Injury ‘with Ferocity’; Ahead of Doctors’ Projection

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had his rookie year cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury.

While it wasn’t easy for Richardson to be away from the field, ESPN’s Stephen Holder explained that the 21-year-old put all of his focus into his recovery in hopes of returning to action sooner than expected.

“A couple of things helped Richardson cope,” Holder stated. “For one, finally undergoing surgery several weeks later and starting his rehab shortly afterward gave him a daily purpose. He has attacked his rehab with ferocity and hopes to resume throwing in the near future, ahead of his doctors’ projections.”

Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans that required season-ending surgery. He also missed time due to a concussion suffered in Week 3, so his rookie season was limited to just 12 quarters of football. The 2023 No. 4 draft pick admitted that the situation initially took a toll on him.

“I’m not going to lie,” Richardson said. “Those first few weeks were definitely hard for me. I’ve never missed a season of football. I’ve dealt with injuries before, but never sat out games, never was told that my season was done and I had to wait. So, it definitely did hurt me, because this was the first year where I didn’t have football to guide me.”

Being away from the field allowed Richardson to sit back and learn while the Colts finished with a 9-8 record and barely fell short of a playoff spot. After being considered a raw prospect coming out of Florida, his time on the sideline is believed to have been beneficial to his development.

“He got a chance to sit back, watch and learn. I had some good meetings with him throughout the season, just individually, me and him, sitting down talking football. Just seeing the NFL season as a whole,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, [we] would’ve loved to have him out there for the season to learn that way. … But I think [the lessons] are going to make him stronger in the end.”