Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson did not participate in Thursday’s final offseason practice due to soreness in his right shoulder.
Richardson, who missed most of last season with an AC joint sprain, insisted that holding out of the practice was done only as a precaution. Richardson was seen working with trainers during Wednesday’s practice, when he eventually stopped early and let backup Joe Flacco finish out.
“I’ve been dealing with soreness since I started throwing,” Richardson said, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “It’s hard listening to the trainers saying, ‘No, you’ve got to sit out for a day.’ But it’s part of the health journey. So, I’m just rocking with them and just listening.
“We’re actually surprised it’s been only one day like this. Luckily, it was the last day.”
Richardson, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida, went down early in the season last fall after an awkward tackle as he was running out toward the right side of the field.
Richardson went on injured reserve initially with the hope that he’d be out for just a few games. The team, however, eventually opted for season-ending surgery. It was one of several that impacted his rookie campaign. He left their season-opener early with a knee injury, and then he missed their Week 3 game after going down with a concussion.
Richardson threw for 577 yards and three touchdowns while completing just shy of 60% of his passes in the four games he played in last season. He ran in another four touchdowns on the ground, too, and got the Colts out to a 2-2 start. The Colts finished out the year with a 9-8 record with quarterback Gardner Minshew leading the rest of the way. They missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
Though his season was cut short, Richardson’s recovery has seemingly gone well. He started throwing again a few months ago, and he made it through all but the last day of the Colts’ practices this summer.
“I’ve been putting in a lot of work, so I’m feeling real good about it,” Richardson said. “I was kind of bummed out about today, missing the last day. But they told me it’s nothing to worry about, ‘Don’t worry about the last day because I had a good period of time where I was working.'”
As for the severity of the injury on Thursday, head coach Shane Steichen put it in very simple terms.
“Rest assured, if we played on Sunday, he’d be starting,” he said.
