Colts QB Anthony Richardson ‘feeling good,’ practices fully for first time since suffering oblique injury

The Indianapolis Colts‘ tantalizing quarterback prospect Anthony Richardson took another big step forward in his recovery from an oblique injury he suffered in a 27-24 Week 4 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He practiced fully Thursday for the first time since suffering the injury, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Richardson indicated the leadup to Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans feels a lot better than his Week 5 preparation ahead of Indy’s 37-34 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Way better, compared to last week,” Richardson said Wednesday, via the Indy Star. “I was able to move a little bit. I’m able to get going, start running, throwing. Feeling good about that.”  

Richardson’s deep-passing ability, one of his biggest strengths, requires plenty of torque and hip rotation. He is also an adept scrambler and rusher. Both of those elements of his game are lot more accessible this week. 

“Little bit of both, honestly because rotation, getting my hips right,” Richardson said. “Just putting a lot of torque and stuff on my body. But no, I’d probably say both with same difficulty but I’m feeling good with both now.”

The hip rotation is critical: Richardson is one of only three quarterbacks with multiple completions of 50 or more air yards this season along with Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels and 2023 NFL draft classmate and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. 

“I can run, I can throw, I can do the stuff I need to do in the offense,” Richardson said. “We’re just going to take it day by day and see how the rest of the week goes.”  

The good news for the Colts is that if Richardson can’t go, they have 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco waiting in the wings. Flacco has five consecutive regular-season starts with 300 or more passing yards and multiple touchdown passes. He also has five touchdowns and no interceptions in just two games this season — Week 4 when coming off the bench for the injured Richardson and his Week 5 start against the Jaguars. Between that flawless touchdown-to-interception ratio and his 70% completion rate, the eighth best in the league, Flacco is the NFL’s current passer rating leader (115.6) at the age of 39 in 2024. 

That’s why it’s perfectly fine for the Colts not to rush the NFL’s second-youngest starting quarterback — 22 years and 141 days old — back until he is fully ready to play. 

“I really just think it’s all up to feel,” Richardson said. “I’m pretty sure my body’s not 100 percent, because Week 1, your body is going to keep going down and down, because it’s taking hits. But if I’m feeling good, I’m going to go out there.”