Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson appears to have averted significant injury after taking a hit from Steelers defender Minkah Fitzpatrick to his right hip on Sunday, while his availability for this week’s game against Jacksonville remains uncertain.
Richardson is apparently struggling with a hip pointer, but Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen declined to confirm such allegations on Monday, stating simply that Richardson has a hip issue.
The 22-year-old quarterback returned for one play after taking the hit, realized he couldn’t accelerate as well as he normally does, and went to the ground. Despite Richardson running out of the tunnel to try to return to the game after another evaluation, the Colts decided to rule him out for the rest of the game.
Richardson has now failed to complete four of his eight NFL starts, raising worries about his ability to avoid injury.
“There’s always those things out there: Injury-prone, guys get hurt,” according to Steichen. “It is football. Guys go out and play, and injuries do occur. You do not want them to happen. Obviously, it occurred. Clearly, it was not a major injury. We’ll see how the week goes and take it from there.
According to Steichen, the Colts were still awaiting imaging results on Monday.
“We’ll see what all comes back,” Steichen remarked.
After the game, Richardson expressed optimism about the state of his hip, telling teammates and reporters that he believed he had dodged anything major.
“I think I’m going to be good,” Richardson remarked on Sunday. “Just a little soreness.”
If Richardson is correct, the quarterback may be able to return on Sunday against Jacksonville, though the decision will be based on the team’s assessment of Richardson’s injury.
“Just going off the doctors and how he’s feeling throughout the week,” according to Steichen. “We’ll go from there.”
Every time Richardson has been taken out of a game thus far, it has been due to a running play, placing Indianapolis in a difficult position. Richardson has been a prolific rusher in his eight NFL appearances, averaging six yards per carry, 277 yards and five touchdowns.
“There is a balance there in running the quarterback, but it does add that element to our offense that he can make big-time plays with his feet,” Steichen pointed out. “We don’t want to lose that, so we’ve got to play games, and when the opportunity arises, he knows he can sprint. Obviously, if it’s a dropback ball and he scrambles, he’ll take off and run as well.”
He has also struggled at times to protect himself.
Richardson had room to slide on Sunday’s 16-yard scramble, but he believed there wasn’t enough space to give himself up, and instead of sliding, he took a hit that finally knocked him out of the game.
“There is a time and place for it. We’ve discussed it, so we’ll keep looking at it, delving deeper into it, and going from there.”
If Richardson is unable to play against Jacksonville, the Colts know they can rely on 39-year-old backup Joe Flacco, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions to finish what Richardson began in a 27-24 victory against the Steelers.
“Any time you have a backup that’s played at a high level for a long time, obviously, when he goes in, you have confidence in his abilities to go out and operate,” Steichen told ESPN. “That’s what he did yesterday.”
According to reports, the Colts will need Richardson to perform again in the coming week.
Anthony Richardson injury
According to the NFL Network, Richardson suffered a hip pointer during Sunday’s game against the Steelers. WebMD defines a hip pointer as a specific sort of bruising or discomfort in the hip. The injury is produced by severe contact, which is commonly connected with sports. It occurs at the iliac crest, a bone that protrudes from the side of the hip. The injury usually does not last long, although it might make certain daily activities difficult.
Anthony Richardson age
Anthony Richardson is 22. He’ll turn 23 on May 22.
Anthony Richardson stats
This season, Anthony Richardson has completed just 50.6% of his throws for 654 yards, three touchdowns, and an NFL-high six interceptions. He has a 60.2 pass rate. Richardson has run for 141 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries this season.
