Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is back on the practice field, leading his team during OTAs. Although he missed much of last season because of shoulder surgery, he has no plans to change his game.
Richardson says he’ll be the same dual-threat quarterback who will use every athletic skill available in his repertoire. He’s as large as most linebackers, so why not lower a shoulder for some extra yards? Surely what happened at home last October against the Titans won’t repeat itself again.
“I don’t think there’s any way I could have avoided what happened to me,” Richardson told reporters during a media availability. “Just a regular, routine tackle. I tried to brace myself for the fall and just my shoulder did what it did. There’s nothing I could do about that.”
Richardson showed nice flashes during his brief 2023 season. He rushed for at least one touchdown in his first three starts. His passing still came in fits and starts in his four appearances. But he also suffered a concussion, then a grade 3 sprain of his AC joint in his shoulder. It was after the shoulder injury that doctors decided he needed surgery that would shut down his season.
But seven months later, Richardson is back on the practice field. He even celebrated his 22nd birthday, Wednesday, by going to workouts. What a party, right?
The Colts social media team honored their quarterback with a montage with the caption “Your reminder that this guy is only 22 years old.”
For his part, Richardson also is holding up his duties as the face of the Colts franchise. Indianapolis is all abuzz about the Indiana Pacers. The team is taking on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Winner goes on to play for NBA bragging rights.
So Richardson wore a Tyrese Haliburton jersey to meet with the media. The Colts posted a snap with a “Go ‘cers.”
Getting back to football, Richardson talked more about his physical style of play and whether if he was capable of changing his game.
“Changing my game and my play style? I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with my play style,” said the Colts quarterback. “People see me, I’m a big quarterback, so they always think, ‘Oh, he wants to run the ball all the time, he wants to be physical and that’s what’s gonna get him hurt.’ But that’s not the case. The times I did get hurt… The one time, the one concussion, that was me completely because I slowed down by the end zone — you’re never supposed to do that. Everything else, it just happened because we play a dangerous game, and there’s nothing I can do about that.
“But necessarily changing my play? I don’t think I’m gonna change it,” he said. “But being smart, knowing when to get extra yards and knowing when to get down, I feel like I know how to do that. It’s just I have to do it and do it at the right time, I guess. I don’t know if I’m gonna change my game, but being smarter for the team, of course.”
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