Anthony Richardson injury update: Colts QB hospitalized after bizarre mishap in pre-game warmup

QB Anthony Richardson was not at the Colts’ game today against the Arizona Cardinals. That’s as the second-year, now backup quarterback had to go to the hospital after a bizarre incident in pregame.

After the 31-27 win for Indianapolis this afternoon, Shane Steichen told the media Richardson was hospitalized during the game. An elastic band snapped on him during warmups, which caused an orbital fracture that led to him leaving the arena and being a late designation as out today.

“AR, he got an eye – he got an orbital fracture, eye fracture in pregame warmup doing band work,” Steichen said to start his postgame press conference. “It was very interesting, to say the least. It was. We had to kind of rally the troops there in the locker room and get us back into focus, and I thought our guys did that the right way. And, just obviously hope AR is good.”

Steichen did not have many more specifics or details immediately following the game. He just confirmed that he did go to the hospital and that he didn’t know what kind of timeline that injury would take specifically recovery-wise.

Richardson has hardly appeared this season, recording stats just twice, with two pass attempts, four rushes, and even a reception, in blowout wins at Tennessee and last weekend against Las Vegas. That’s as he’s now behind QB Daniel Jones, who won out in the preseason to be Indy’s QB1 and is now in the midst of a career-best season for the Colts in leading them to a start at 5-1. This injury then left QB Riley Leonard as the team’s backup today, which Steichen confirmed would continue to be the case until Richardson returns.

Over 15 games as their starter the two seasons prior, Richardson posted 53.6% completion for 154.6 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while also rushing for 39.7 yards per game and 10 more scores. That has him at a total of 21 touchdowns but 17 turnovers overall, with the former pick at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft having not worked out to this point for the Colts.

Although being the oddest injury he’s had yet, this isn’t the first one for Richardson in his three-year career so far just in the NFL. He has missed time with a concussion, an oblique issue, and a back problem while most notably spraining a joint in his shoulder that’d end his rookie season. He then dislocated a finger back in this preseason.

It remains to be seen when Richardson will return from this odd mishap and be back on the depth chart for Indianapolis. It’s just the latest setback, though, for a once-promising prospect for the Colts.