Indianapolis Colts Franchise Quarterback Anthony Richardson Working on 'Perspective' 5 Months Post Surgery

The Colts’ star quarterback is working his way back to “full-go” five months after season-ending shoulder surgery ended his rookie season early. Richardson has slowly ramped up activity after being cleared to throw just over a month ago.

ESPN reporter Stephon Holder recently sat in on one of Richardson’s workouts. Richardson, 22, has been working with throwing coach Will Hewlett and performance coach Tom Gormely to get back to the Richardson of old. He is on a pitch count to help increase strength in his newly healed shoulder.

Holder reports it was his fifth session of the week, and he had thrown more than 200 passes in all, just five months post-surgery. The growth is evident, but pulling back a bit on the eager QB is still necessary.

“I’ve never waited this long to get back to playing football,” Richardson said. “I’m just on a mission this year. Once that mission’s complete, then I’ll be good.”

Indianapolis Colts QB is a Perfectionist

Richardson told Holder he’s a perfectionist but is trying to dial it back a bit.

“I used to be really bad,” he said. “The old me, we probably would have been there [throwing] for another 30 minutes. But I’m just trying to find that balance.”

He spoke about his inability to throw specific routes to the degree that he liked. Richardson still misses a throw from time to time, but he is on track to be a big part of the Colt’s 2024 push for the playoffs.

Colts Push for Playoffs

The Colts fell one win shy of the postseason after Gardner Minshew replaced Richardson, and Indy believes Richardson could be the difference in 2024.

Richardson played just 173 of a possible 1,148 offensive snaps for Indianapolis. He had plenty of “wow” moments in his brief appearance, but an overwhelming feeling of “what could be?” lies within the Colts organization after he went down.

Minshew, now a Las Vegas Raider, has departed, and Richardson should benefit from the mentorship of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco being in the same film room. Both should be able to bring the Colts to the land of relevancy within the NFL landscape.

Colts Personnel Excited about Richardon’s Return

According to Holder, the Colts have also been preaching about perspective. Both head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard have said in previous interviews they believe it is imperative to be smart with Richardson as he rehabilitates.

Ballard and Steichen are excited for the Colts success to grow, as Steichen rolls into his second year as the head coach. Both spoke to Richardson’s return last month at the NFL annual meeting.

“I was like, ‘my God,'” Ballard said. “I mean, you wouldn’t know that he’s still in rehab watching him play football.”

Steichen expressed excitement about the prospect of Richardson being cleared for offseason workouts with the team. Voluntary meetings/workouts will resume soon, so any participation by Richardson will be welcome.

“I know he’s super fired up and ready to roll for spring practice and training camp,” Steichen said.

Anticipation is in the air. The entire Colts staff is ready to have their franchise quarterback on the field.