Tag: Richardson

Oct 8, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Colts QB Anthony Richardson to IR, out four games

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Indianapolis Colts placed Anthony Richardson on injured reserve Wednesday, a move that will have the rookie quarterback missing at least the next four games.

Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, sustained a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-16 win against the Tennessee Titans.

Richardson has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in four starts. He has also rushed 25 times for 136 yards and four scores.

Gardner Minshew will be under center Sunday when the Colts (3-2) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2). The earliest Richardson can return is the Week 10 game at New England on Nov. 12.

The Colts made several other moves Wednesday, including signing guard Ike Boettger to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

Indianapolis also signed wide receiver Anthony Miller and quarterback Kellen Mond to the practice squad and released wideout Juwann Winfree from the practice squad.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Colts QB Anthony Richardson still in concussion protocol

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson remains in concussion protocol as of Monday afternoon, Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen said.

Richardson and starting center Ryan Kelly, who’s also in the protocol, must participate in a non-contact and a contact practice in order to be cleared from the protocol ahead of Week 4’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Steichen does not yet know if Richardson will return when practice resumes Wednesday.

Richardson, the fourth overall pick in April’s draft, was named the Colts’ No. 1 quarterback during training camp. He suffered the concussion in Week 2 against the Houston Texans.

Gardner Minshew started Week 3 for Indianapolis (2-1) at the Baltimore Ravens and completed 27 of 44 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown in the Colts’ 22-19 overtime win.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) speaks with media Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, after fellow quarterback Anthony Richardson was named the starter.

Colts QB Gardner Minshew in line to start vs. Ravens

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew is in line to start this weekend after rookie Anthony Richardson sat out practice for the third consecutive day on Friday due to a concussion.

Minshew likely will be under center for the Colts (1-1) on Sunday against the host Baltimore Ravens (2-0).

Also on Friday, three-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly did not participate in practice.

Minshew, 27, relieved Richardson in Indianapolis’ 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans last Sunday and completed 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards. He also tossed a touchdown pass to tight end Kylen Granson.

Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, was forced out of last Sunday’s contest for the second time in two career games when he absorbed a hard hit.

The Colts led the Texans 14-0 behind two Richardson TD runs when he left to be evaluated for a concussion. He was assisted to the sideline in the final minute of the game after trying to run the ball in for a score in a 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 10.

Richardson, 21, is 30-of-47 passing for 279 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also has 13 carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans safety M.J. Stewart (29) tries to tackle Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) as he rushes in a touchdown Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, during a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports

Colts QB Anthony Richardson in concussion protocol, not practicing

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Quarterback Anthony Richardson remains in concussion protocol and unavailable to practice as the Indianapolis Colts prep for a Week 3 trip to Baltimore.

Gardner Minshew relieved Richardson on Sunday and guided the Colts to a 31-20 win, completing 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown toss to tight end Kylen Granson.

Coach Shane Steichen said Richardson is “in a good spot,” but plans to keep their communication private. Steichen said it’s possible the rookie can progress enough to be ready to play the Ravens on Sunday.

Starting center Ryan Kelly also missed Wednesday’s practice and is in concussion protocol.

Richardson was forced out of the game for the second time in two career games when he absorbed a hard hit. The Colts led the Texans 14-0 behind two Richardson TD runs when he left to be evaluated for a concussion. In Week 1, he was assisted to the sideline in the final minute of the game after trying to run the ball in for a score against the Jaguars.

Steichen shut down inquires about running back Jonathan Taylor, who is on the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t been with the team on gameday. Steichen said he wasn’t going to answer additional questions about Taylor, including whether he would be on the sideline with his teammates in Baltimore.

Richardson, 21, is 30-of-47 passing for 279 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also has 13 carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Aug 12, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) runs with the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Colts name rookie Anthony Richardson as starting QB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Indianapolis Colts anointed rookie Anthony Richardson the team’s starting quarterback to begin the 2023 season.

First-year head coach Shane Steichen confirmed that the No. 4 overall draft pick will be under center when the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Veteran Gardner Minshew will back up Richardson.

Going with the rookie marks a strategy reversal for the Colts, who have plugged in veterans Jacoby Brissett (2019), Philip Rivers (2020), Carson Wentz (2021) and Matt Ryan (2022) with varying degrees of success since the unexpected 2019 retirement of Andrew Luck.

Richardson completed 7 of 12 passes for 67 yards and an interception in his preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Steichen credited the rookie for showing “great poise” after the 23-19 loss.

“I knew we had the early interception. That’s my fault,” Steichen said. “We’ve got to do a better job communicating on that one. … That starts with coaching, starts with myself. Other than that, I thought he was efficient.”

Indianapolis hosts the Chicago Bears in a preseason contest on Saturday night with starters expected to get increased playing time.

Richardson, 21, played in 24 games over three seasons at Florida. He started 12 games last season, posting a 6-6 record. He completed 176 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ran 103 times for 654 yards with nine scores.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws the ball Saturday, July 29, 2023, during Colts Training Back Together Weekend at Grand Park in Westfield.

Colts rookie Anthony Richardson to start preseason opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will start in the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason opener Saturday at Buffalo.

Colts coach Shane Steichen gave the No. 4 overall draft pick the nod over veteran Gardner Minshew on Thursday, one day after both were listed as QB1 on the team’s first official depth chart.

Richardson and Minshew have been sharing the first-team reps throughout training camp.

Richardson, 21, played in 24 games over three seasons at Florida. He started 12 games last season, posting a 6-6 record. He completed 176 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ran 103 times for 654 yards with nine scores.

Minshew, 27, has completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 6,632 yards, with 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 32 career games (24 starts) with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20) and Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22).

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) runs passing drills during Colts Camp practice at Grand Park, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Westfield.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson takes all first-team reps

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Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson took every snap with the Indianapolis starters for the second consecutive day.

Richardson, who missed Monday’s training camp session recovering from nasal surgery, was back with the first-team offense on Thursday to catch up on what he missed, head coach Anthony Steichen said.

“He missed one (practice), so we just got him back-to-back days,” Steichen said of Richardson taking the starter reps over Gardner Minshew again Thursday.

Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter wants to see as much of the 21-year-old Richardson as possible this time of year. As mistakes — like a Thursday morning interception in seven-on-seven drills — happen, what happens next has been the strongest positive effort in the assessment of coaches.

“We see him make a mistake on one day and then the next day, that same opportunity presents itself and he’s fixed it, he’s got it figured out,” Cooter said. “That’s the game that we play and that’s the game that quarterbacks play in this league quite a bit. How much can you learn? How much better can you get? The good thing about Anthony — he’s been really, really good about genuinely being open-minded about receiving coaching, receiving feedback and it’s been impressive to watch him turn that into improvement the next day or maybe the next week on the practice field.”

Steichen said commanding the huddle and being comfortable getting players lined up have been positives for Richardson, whom the Colts selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

“You are around your teammates more and more, they get to know you,” Steichen said. “I like his pocket presence right now. We’ve got to keep improving.”

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws the ball Saturday, July 29, 2023, during Colts Training Back Together Weekend at Grand Park in Westfield.

Nasal surgery knocks Colts QB Anthony Richardson out

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson underwent a procedure to correct his deviated septum and missed Monday’s training camp sessions.

The Colts said Richardson, drafted fourth overall in April, would return Tuesday “depending on how he feels.”

Snoring, sleep apnea and breathing during intense exercise can result from a deviated septum, the medical description applied to the wall between nostrils being out of alignment.

Richardson is competing for the No. 1 quarterback job under first-year head coach Shane Steichen.

His primary competitor, Gardner Minshew II, worked with the first-team offense, which is without running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Colts listed Taylor with ankle and back injuries as his status becomes more uncertain following a meeting with owner Jim Irsay on Saturday. Taylor, who said he was told the team wouldn’t make him a contract offer until after the upcoming season, denied via social media that he has a back injury.

Per reports, the Colts are considering using the “non-football injury” or NFI designation to avoid paying Taylor while he’s out.

Richardson, 21, played in 24 games over three seasons at Florida. He started 12 games in the 2022 season, posting a 6-6 record. He completed 176 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He ran 103 times for 654 yards with nine scores.

Apr 27, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson walks the NFL Draft Red Carpet before the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colts select Florida QB Anthony Richardson fourth overall

Posted on | by Field Level Media

One of the best athletes in the NFL draft is headed to the Indianapolis Colts, where the challenge will be to build Florida’s Anthony Richardson into one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The No. 4 pick on Thursday, Richardson was the third quarterback drafted in the first round following Alabama’s Bryce Young to Carolina at No. 1 and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud to Houston at No. 2.

“The journey starts now,” Richardson said.

In 2021, the first three picks were quarterbacks — Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Zach Wilson (Jets) and Trey Lance (49ers) — and that scenario also played out in 1999 and 1971.

Richardson was the biggest and fastest quarterback at the scouting combine, running a 4.43 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds. He’s not a polished product or passer with just 13 career starts for the Gators, but he’s also the youngest of the prized prospects. His running skills could be more attractive to the Colts given their new offensive scheme.

As of Monday, Colts owner Jim Irsay told ESPN the franchise was “still debating” the merits of the quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class. Irsay denies he’s the overlord in the draft room or pushing buttons on personnel decisions.

However, he did make clear when new head coach Shane Steichen was hired in February that quarterback was a need that helped guide the team to hire the former Eagles offensive coordinator, “knowing we’re going to have to find a young quarterback to develop.”

Steichen helped develop Jalen Hurts from second-round pick to NFL MVP runner-up last season.

Spinning the quarterback carousel has been a constant for the Colts, a pendulum that began with Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement in August 2019. Luck was the No. 1 pick in 2012, months after the Colts released Peyton Manning (first overall, 1998).

Luck leaving started the Colts’ cycle of mediocrity and ushered a baton pass to new starters every season with Jacoby Brissett (2019), Philip Rivers (2020), Carson Wentz (2021) and Matt Ryan (2022).

This is just the second time the Colts have drafted in the first round since 2019 (defensive end Kwity Paye, Michigan, 2021). Ballard has drafted two quarterbacks since he arrived in Indianapolis in 2017: Sam Ehlinger (sixth round, 2021) and Jacob Eason (fourth round, 2020).

In the same stretch, Ballard drafted seven linebackers and seven wide receivers.

Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James was the No. 4 pick in 1999, the last time the Colts had the fourth selection.

The franchise also had the No. 4 pick in the 1986 draft, selecting Alabama defensive end Jon Hand.

In addition to Luck and Manning, the Colts spent the No. 1 pick on a quarterback in 1990, selecting Jeff George of Illinois. In 1983, the Baltimore Colts drafted John Elway No. 1 overall and traded him to the Denver Broncos.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud talks to Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich during Ohio State football's pro day at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on March 22, 2023. Football Ceb Osufb Pro Day

Panthers decide on QB to draft — but who remains a secret

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich said Tuesday that the team has reached a consensus on which quarterback it will take with the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft.

Good luck shaking that information out of the new Panthers coach.

“We’ll announce that Thursday at about 8 o’clock,” Reich said during a press conference.

Reich said the consensus was reached Monday during a conversation with general manager Scott Fitterer.

“He came into my office yesterday at some point, and asked the question,” Reich said. “It was kind of like a proposal of sorts. And I said yes. There is consensus, and we’re excited.”

The Panthers have been dissecting the top four quarterbacks in the draft — Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

Young was been viewed as the favorite to be tabbed first, while Stroud also has believers that feel he is the best quarterback in the draft.

Reich said the Panthers have conducted a thorough evaluation of all the possible choices.

“There was ebbs and flows during the process,” Reich said. “… I don’t want to say there’s any drastic change of mind, but there’s ebbs and flows of how much you like a guy. And that’s why you have to resist the temptation of making your mind up too early, right?

“So I thought we as a scouting staff and coaches did a good job of not falling into that trap. Just take it for what it is. Take it day by day. Go on these visits, watch tape. Go through the process. Continue to evaluate and talk it through.”

The Panthers went 7-10 last season for their fifth consecutive losing campaign.

Since the decline of former star Cam Newton, Carolina has gone through signal callers such as Kyle Allen (2019), Teddy Bridgewater (2020), Sam Darnold (2021-22), Baker Mayfield (2022) and PJ Walker (2022) without finding a capable starter.

–Field Level Media