Colts insider shares big update on QB Anthony Richardson's recovery

Third-year pro Anthony Richardson seemingly fell behind free-agency signing Daniel Jones in the competition for the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback job after he was shut down from throwing after experiencing pain in his surgically-repaired shoulder on May 29. 

On Thursday, Colts insider Stephen Holder of ESPN revealed that Richardson "is believed to have recovered from his recent right shoulder setback as the team prepares to report for training camp" on July 22. 

"The Colts have not had a chance to personally evaluate Richardson because players have been on their summer breaks," Holder continued. 

Earlier in the week, JJ Stankevitz of Colts.com mentioned that head coach Shane Steichen will "ease" Richardson back into throwing drills at some point during training camp. According to Holder, a source shared that Richardson "could be on a so-called pitch count early in camp to allow him to ramp up and avoid fatigue."

It's too early to know if the Colts will clear Richardson to play in their preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 7.

The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14M contract that's worth up to $17.7M and included $13.15M guaranteed in March when other teams were reportedly interested in having him compete for a QB1 job. As for Richardson, multiple injury setbacks limited the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft to just 15 starts out of 32 games over his first two seasons. He was also benched for a pair of contests last fall after he took himself out of a game because he was "tired." 

Richardson has repeatedly left much to be desired with his on-the-field performances. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2024 regular season ranked last in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks with a 47.7 percent completion percentage, a 36.0 percent passing success rate and a 61.6 passer rating. Out of 36 qualified players, Richardson was 30th with a 47.4 adjusted QBR. 

As of Thursday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson at -120 betting odds to start Indianapolis' Week 1 game versus the Miami Dolphins over Jones (-106 odds). Perhaps the QB battle will be closer than some have thought if Richardson is fully healthy.