Colts rookie Anthony Richardson set unique team record in Week 2 win over Texans

Through two weeks of his NFL career, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has flashed his brilliant talent and upside that made him such an exciting draft pick last spring. In that short amount of time, he’s already started setting Indianapolis franchise records.

In Week 2, Richardson became the first Colt to rush for two touchdowns in the same quarter since 1999, when it was accomplished by Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James, per NFL Research.

Richardson is also the fifth rookie drafted top-five overall who has scored at least three rushing touchdowns in the first two weeks of their rookie season. Everyone else who was able to do that both were NFL Offensive Rookies of the Year and were running backs. That means Richardson is the first quarterback to do it, joining Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson, Billy Sims, and Earl Campbell.

Anthony Richardson’s legs are an incredibly important part of his game, clearly, making him a dual threat. In fact, they’re probably the better-developed part of his game, as Richardson was considered a bit of a developmental project as a passer.

However, it’s also that running ability that could get Richardson into trouble. He wasn’t able to finish Indianapolis’ opener against Jacksonville. However, that wasn’t a major injury. Then, he got knocked out of the team’s Week 2 game against Houston and is now in concussion protocol.

After Week 1, NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that his injury wasn’t major but pointed out that Richardson needs to avoid hits and take care of his body.

“The initial reports on Anthony Richardson [are] positive,” Schefter said. “Bone bruise. Playing on that field [is] not easy. He’s got to learn to, somehow, someway, try to take a few less hits than he took yesterday.”

The Colts have an experienced backup in Gardner Minshew. Still, they would prefer to not have to consistently rely on him to finish games. Still, he looked good in the win over Houston.

What’s next for Anthony Richardson?

Anthony Richardson’s long-term future in the NFL is going to come down to his ability to protect himself. He can’t survive in the league if he’s constantly dealing with injuries. That means he’s going to need to take fewer hits and slide more often to avoid contact.

Next week, Indianapolis is traveling to Baltimore for a tough road test. As of now, Richardson’s availability for that game is in doubt. He’s currently in concussion protocol and he will need to be cleared before he can play.