National Football League

Colts QB Anthony Richardson reportedly suffers AC joint sprain, could miss 4-6 weeks

Published Oct. 9, 2023 11:04 a.m. ET

The Indianapolis Colts are preparing to be without their starting quarterback for some time.

Anthony Richardson is believed to have suffered a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and the team is preparing for him to miss four to six weeks, The Athletic reported Monday. The rookie reportedly underwent an MRI Monday morning and the team is still awaiting the final results, but the team is bracing for results to confirm their initial diagnosis.

The injury was suffered during the Colts' Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans. The dual-threat quarterback injured his right shoulder in the second quarter when Titans linebacker Harold Landry linebacker tackled him on a 4-yard run. Richardson's shoulder hit the turf hard as Landry was on top of him when he made the tackle.

Richardson indicated right away that he was in pain, favoring the injured shoulder. He was able to walk off the field under his own power but wasn't able to lift his right arm up.

This marks the second time that Richardson has suffered an injury on a running play this season. Richardson suffered a concussion on a touchdown run in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, slamming the back of his hand on the ground as he was being tackled in the end zone.

While Richardson has made some good early impressions to start his NFL career, the Colts have actually done well without him. Gardner Minshew helped close off the win in Week 2 and led the Colts to a road upset win over the Baltimore Ravens in Richardson's absence a week later.

Minshew had another strong performance in relief of Richardson on Sunday. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 155 yards, leading them to a second-half comeback in the 23-16 win.

So far this season, Richardson has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 577 yards, three touchdowns and an interception with an 87.3 passer rating. He's also rushed for 136 yards on 5.4 yards per carry with four touchdowns.

'Anytime I get to play football, is heaven for me' - Colts' Gardner Minshew after replacing Anthony Richardson

In addition to making the start in Week 3, Minshew has appeared in at least parts of all five games this season. The fifth-year quarterback has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 553 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 95.1 passer rating, helping the Colts get off to a 3-2 start.

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The Colts will almost certainly have to rely on Minshew to help them get another win in an important tilt in Week 6, when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars for a battle of the two leaders in the AFC South. In the following three weeks, the Colts have home games against the Browns and Saints before hitting the road to take on the Panthers in Week 9.

If Richardson is out for two extra weeks, he'll miss the Colts' game against the Patriots in Germany in Week 10. Indianapolis has its bye week following that game. The Colts host the Buccaneers in Week 11.