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Latest On Colts QB Anthony Richardson

October 19th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Ben Levine

We learned yesterday that Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his AC joint. Since Richardson was placed on injured reserve last week, it seemed like the QB and the organization were going back and forth on how to proceed with the shoulder injury.

[RELATED: Colts QB Anthony Richardson To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery]

Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, it was an unanimous agreement from the get-go that Richardson should go under the knife, but considering the procedure would definitively end the QB’s season, the sides weren’t in any rush to make a decision. That would explain why Richardson and the organization didn’t make their final decision until a week after the rookie landed on injured reserve.

Before the Colts and Richardson decided that surgery was the optimal path, they consulted with doctors from both the Texas Rangers and New York Mets. Holder notes that the Colts looked towards Major League Baseball docs because of the AC joint’s impact on “throwers.” These “outside” doctor worked alongside the Colts in-house doctors while advising Richardson on the best path forward.

When it comes to a timeline, Holder notes that the organization, Colts doctors, and Richardson will establish all of that following the surgery. The operation is intended to fix the injury and “prevent further occurrences,” and there’s no concern about the QB’s long-term health.

A concussion in Week 2 and the Week 4 shoulder injury came after Richardson ran the ball himself, leading some to wonder if the risk was worth the reward. When asked about the mobile quarterback’s running preference, Colts owner Jim Irsay shut down the notion.

“He’s not running too much. He’s protecting himself. He really is,” Irsay told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “If you look at the one on the shoulder injury, you can’t believe it happened. It’s just a normal tackle.”

Colts QB Anthony Richardson To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

October 18th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Gardner Minshew‘s time at the controls in Indianapolis looks set to run through season’s end. After consulting with multiple doctors, Anthony Richardson will be shut down for the campaign’s remainder.

Richardson will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his AC joint injury, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The No. 4 overall pick went on IR last week, and while a return was in play, an update to the situation indicated the Florida alum was facing a longer return timetable than initially forecast. The Colts will proceed with considerable caution here. Jim Irsay confirmed Richardson’s season is done.

“We collected several medical opinions and we felt this was the best course of action for his long-term health,” Irsay said. “We anticipate a full recovery and there is no doubt Anthony has a promising future.”

Although Richardson showed early promise, he suffered injuries in three of his four games with the Colts. A concussion in Week 2 and the Week 4 shoulder injury came after Richardson runs. While the Colts drafted Richardson in large part because of his rare athletic skillset, those talents led to this early shutdown. The team also did not want a repeat of the Andrew Luck situation, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.

Luck sustained a partially torn labrum during the 2015 season but finished out the year and opted not to undergo surgery in 2016. This led to Luck playing hurt throughout the ’16 slate and practicing on a limited basis for most of that year. Once the former Indianapolis franchise QB opted for surgery in 2017, complications from the procedure led to a full-season absence. Luck returned for the 2018 campaign, earning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim, but stunned the football world by retiring just before the 2019 season. The former No. 1 overall pick cited the mental toll the extensive rehab took on him as a central reason for his NFL exit. This left the Colts adrift at QB for years; Richardson is in place to stop the carousel.

The merry-go-round will spin again for a while, with Minshew now the starter. Luck’s 2017 shutdown led to Scott Tolzien opening the year as the starter, but Jacoby Brissett replaced him quickly. Thrown into another emergency circumstance, Brissett was back in place as Indy’s starter in 2019. The Colts then churned through Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan from 2020-22, with Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles also stepping in during a disastrous 2022 season. Richardson was the seventh Colts Week 1 starting quarterback since 2017. Only Washington (2017-23), Cleveland (2013-19) and San Diego (1987-93) match that throughout NFL history. Minshew is not part of that list, but he will almost definitely end up taking the bulk of the Colts’ snaps in 2023, putting him in position to cash in on up to $2MM in playing-time incentives.

As expected from a one-year college starter who did not show plus accuracy in college, Richardson offered an up-and-down early sample. He completed only 59.5% of his throws and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. But the 6-foot-4, 244-pound talent flashed immediately as a dual threat, amassing 136 rushing yards in fewer than three full games. The Colts have the 21-year-old QB under contract through 2026, with a fifth-year option existing in the rookie deal to push it through 2027. Through that lens, Indy’s careful plan — one ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes involved Richardson’s camp — makes sense. Though, it certainly hurts the 2023 Colts edition.

Irsay had indicated the Colts would have chosen Richardson first overall, with the team running an effective smokescreen operation — one that involved steady Will Levis-to-Indiana rumors — before the draft. Richardson will now have several months to recover, leaving Minshew back in a starting role. The Colts informed Minshew when he signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal that he would be backing up whomever the team drafted in the first round, the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson notes. The ex-Jaguars sixth-round pick began his career as Foles’ backup but usurped him. The Jags moved on after drafting Trevor Lawrence in 2021, but Minshew has now been in Shane Steichen‘s offense for three seasons.

The ex-Eagles backup struggled in his second Colts start, throwing three INTs in a one-sided loss in Jacksonville. But Minshew, 27, has made 26 starts over his five-year career. While he does not threaten defenses the way Richardson does, the experienced passer’s accuracy chops will be more dependable compared to the rookie’s current capabilities. This will double as an opportunity for Minshew to re-establish himself as a bridge-level starter or earn a more lucrative QB2 deal for the 2024 season and beyond.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/23

October 17th, 2023 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: OT Jalen McKenzie
  • Released: WR Malik Flowers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/23

October 17th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off Giants practice squad: S Alex Cook

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Colts DT Grover Stewart Incurs PED Ban

October 17th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Part of a long-running defensive tackle duo alongside DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart will see his season pause. The NFL handed the veteran Colts nose tackle a six-game PED suspension Tuesday, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.

A fourth-round pick in 2017, Stewart is the longest-tenured Colts defender. The team gave him an extension during his 2020 contract year, and this ban will prove costly. Stewart, who will turn 30 on Friday, will lose $3.1MM as a result of this suspension. The longtime starter said he unknowingly took a banned substance.

“I am responsible for what I put in my body, and I should have taken the proper steps to educate myself,” Stewart said. “I will learn from this moving forward, and I will take the appropriate measures to ensure this never happens again.”

This will be a big loss for the Colts. Stewart has started 70 career games, and Pro Football Focus slots him 18th among interior defensive linemen through six games. Lauding his run defense, PFF graded Stewart as a top-35 inside D-lineman from 2021-22 as well. Stewart posted career-high numbers in sacks (four) and tackles for loss (nine) last season. Through six games this year, he is on pace to establish a new career-best mark in QB hits, having five already.

The Colts have taken a step back defensively in Gus Bradley‘s second season, ranking outside the top 20 in both points and yards allowed, but the franchise has been able to bank on its Buckner-Stewart duo since forming it via the blockbuster Buckner trade in 2020. Part of Chris Ballard‘s first draft as GM, Stewart signed a three-year, $30.75MM extension in November 2020. That contract expiring after this season represents a tough blow to Stewart, who is attempting to use this season as a platform to a lucrative third contract — via another Colts extension or a free agency payday.

Tuesday’s development also brings new territory for the Colts, who have seen Stewart suit up for every game over the past four seasons. The Albany State (Ga.) alum has not missed a game since September 2018 and has only missed two over the course of his career. Indianapolis has enjoyed the luxury of its DT staples remaining healthy; Buckner has only missed one game as a Colt.

The team picked up former Jaguars first-round D-tackle Taven Bryan this offseason, but 2022 fifth-round pick Eric Johnson profiles as the more likely replacement, residing as the only other nose tackle on Indy’s roster. Johnson has played 22% of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season. PFF slots Johnson outside the top 110 among DTs.

Shane Steichen, Anthony Richardson Swayed Jonathan Taylor’s Colts Commitment

October 16th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even as the Colts designated Jonathan Taylor for return, a cloud of uncertainty hovered over the standout running back. Taylor had requested a trade and, as of late September, was still aiming to move elsewhere. Upon returning to practice before Week 5, Taylor said he was with the Colts “right now.”

The fourth-year back had taken a hardline approach this offseason, and team brass noticed an attitude change from a player who had been viewed as a team-oriented cog during his first three seasons. Jim Irsay‘s comments about running backs coming shortly after the franchise tag deadline produced an 0-for-3 RB extension finish led Taylor — who was a clear candidate to be tagged in 2024 — to request the trade. The sides instead came through with a belated solution, reaching a surprising extension agreement to bring Taylor back into the fold.

GM Chris Ballard initially helped turn the tide by reaching out to Taylor’s agent, Malki Kawa, according to ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who adds the other two Colts cornerstone figures played a major role in moving the 2021 rushing champion back to a place in which he viewed himself as a long-term Indianapolis staple. While Ballard’s path with Taylor’s new agent worked, Holder adds Taylor conversations with Shane Steichen during the former’s time on the reserve/PUP list also played a role in turning the tide.

Despite Irsay proclaiming Taylor recovered from his January ankle surgery ahead of training camp, the former second-round pick landed on the active/PUP list in July. Taylor was absent from practices at multiple points, twice leaving the team during camp. Once the Colts shifted Taylor to the reserve/PUP list in August, mandating a four-game absence, he went through his rehab sessions in the morning and did not attend Colts offensive meetings. The team signed off on this setup, per Holder, and Taylor maintained his isolationist stance by not attending Indianapolis’ home games to start the year.

The Steichen-Taylor chats included understandable discussions about No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, and the high-ceiling prospect’s presence helped convince Taylor — well, that and the three-year, $42MM offer — to stand down and return to the team in earnest.

“We had the same kind of feelings toward [Richardson],” Taylor said, via Holder. “I want to be here for A.R. I want to be able to help him grow in the future. He’s the future of this organization.

“With all of the business stuff going on, just to be able to sit down and really be able to just connect with someone in the building was a big thing. That’s a stressful side. But I was able to just sit down with Shane and just talk about what it looks like going forward. Not only for myself, but the whole entire team. Just his vision. And he wants to legit dominate.”

Ballard noticed a change in Taylor’s demeanor shortly before the extension commenced and contacted the once-disgruntled RB’s camp about negotiations before Week 4, Holder adds. The sides were discussing the deal as Taylor launched into his “I’m here right now” refrain two weeks ago. Taylor did not want to return without a new contract in hand, which should not surprise given the nature of this impasse. (As some noted lyricists have taught us in the past, money has a history of ending standoffs.) Taylor returned when first eligible, with the Colts slowly integrating him into Steichen’s offense.

Even as the offseason introduced a bleak reality for the running back position and no team agreeing to an eight-figure-per-year deal with a back since the Browns’ three-year, $36.6MM Nick Chubb re-up in July 2021, the Colts relented on their Taylor extension stance. The Wisconsin alum is now the league’s third-highest-paid back, and his deal did not require an inflated contract year like Alvin Kamara‘s did. While Taylor’s fully guaranteed money ($19.35MM) is fourth among backs, he has a practical guarantee of $26.5MM due to a $7.15MM injury guarantee shifting to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2024 league year.

Rumored to be strongly considering season-ending surgery, Richardson may not link up with Taylor on a full-time basis until September 2024. But Taylor’s deal puts him in line to help Richardson’s development. For now, Indy’s top RB will continue to ramp up toward a full workload — one that will likely feature Zack Moss in a complementary role, as the Colts are now eyeing a partnership this season — in a Gardner Minshew-directed offense.

Colts Place QB Anthony Richardson On IR; Season-Ending Surgery In Play

October 16th, 2023 at 8:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 16: The newest update to Richardson’s situation comes from the team’s notoriously vocal owner Jim Irsay. According to Stephen Holder of ESPN, the team’s owner informed the media that Richardson could undergo shoulder surgery in the next week or so and is “probably” going to miss the remainder of the season.

“The most likelihood is he’s probably going to be gone for the year,” Irsay said this evening. “I mean, it’s not definite but (he) probably misses this year and we’re going to have to contend with that factor.”

Unless the Colts owner is misinformed, it’s looking like this will be Minshew’s team from here on out. Indianapolis is 3-1 in games in which Minshew takes a significant number of snaps after losing in his return to Jacksonville this past week.

OCTOBER 15: While the labrum in Richardson’s right shoulder is not torn, there is a “strong belief” that surgery is the best option for the rookie, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Rapoport ominously notes that “some reality likely has set in” for player and team, and that Richardson is giving serious consideration to a surgical procedure. As noted below, going that route would bring an end to Richardson’s 2023 season.

OCTOBER 11: After seeing Anthony Richardson suffer a third injury this season, the Colts are proceeding with caution. They placed their prized prospect on IR on Wednesday morning.

The No. 4 overall pick suffered what is believed to be an AC joint sprain against the Titans in Week 5. This transaction will sideline Richardson until Week 10, when the Colts head to Germany for a Patriots matchup. The Colts’ bye comes in Week 11, opening the door to the prospect of the team holding its starter out for a bit longer than the minimum waiting period. Judging by the latest prognosis, it sounds like the Colts will be without their starter until at least late November.

Richardson is now expected to miss between four and eight weeks, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes. Surgery is in play. Richardson is believed to be seeking at least three opinions on how to proceed with this injury. A consensus could produce a surgery route, which would put the talented dual threat’s season in jeopardy.

Although Richardson has flashed considerable promise, the Florida product has run into injury problems to start his career. He battled knee trouble in his NFL debut and left the Colts’ Week 2 game due to a concussion, missing Week 3. While Richardson made it through Indy’s Week 4 game unscathed, the shoulder trouble he sustained will cut into his developmental arc.

Gardner Minshew, who signed a one-year deal worth $3.5MM this offseason, will take over. This marks a second straight year Minshew will need to fill in for a quarterback who sustained a shoulder injury. Jalen Hurts‘ SC joint issue led to his breakthrough season stalling down the stretch; the Eagles standout did not require an IR stint. The Colts have Sam Ehlinger in place as their backup again, and the team signed Kellen Mond to its practice squad after a Tuesday workout.

Richardson beat out Minshew for the Colts’ starting job, despite coming to Indiana as a relatively inexperienced prospect. Minshew piloted the Colts to a Week 3 upset win over the Ravens and kept the car on the road to help the team topple the Titans on Sunday. The fifth-year veteran boasts a far better completion percentage (68.7%) compared to Richardson (59.5) and carries a similar yards-per-attempt number (6.7 to Richardson’s 6.9). The 6-foot-4 talent had already amassed 136 rushing yards, however, offering a new dimension to a Colts team that had relied on immobile veterans for years following Andrew Luck‘s surprise late-summer retirement.

Given Richardson’s raw profile, it was expected he would have early-career accuracy issues. This hiatus, however, deals a blow to a Colts franchise eyeing this season as a crucial growth window for the rookie. But they look to be in steady hands with Minshew, who has been in Shane Steichen‘s system for three seasons now. The Jaguars trading Minshew to the Eagles before the 2021 season united him with Steichen initially, and while the Trevor Lawrence pick and the subsequent trade ended Minshew’s run as a regular starter, this promises to be another opportunity to fill such a role.

The Washington State alum has made 25 career starts. He is 9-16 as a first-stringer, though most of those chances came with overmatched Jaguars teams. Minshew is a career 63.3% passer who boasts an impressive 46-to-15 TD-to-INT ratio. The Indy backup’s one-year deal came with playing-time incentives, which could boost the value to $5.5MM. Richardson’s course of action will likely impact Minshew’s earnings. Minshew would receive a $500K boost for hitting the 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% snap shares on offense, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman tweets.

After four seasons of stopgaps post-Luck, the Colts are suddenly back in familiar territory. But the Steichen-Minshew history does offer some stability to a team that spent 2022 adrift, leading to a 4-12-1 season and the Richardson investment. Indy is 3-2 now and looks to have a legitimate chance at beginning at turnaround this season.

Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. Addresses Contract Status

October 15th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts put an end to the Jonathan Taylor contract saga earlier this month, but more work remains to be done in the near future on the extension front. Wideout Michael Pittman Jr. is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, and he recently spoke about his contract status.

Pittman is playing the fourth and final year of his rookie pact, and as a former second-round pick the fifth-year option is not in play. The 26-year-old will thus need to ink a new Colts agreement between now and the new league year in March or face the possibility of heading elsewhere on what will no doubt be a signficant second contract. He has previously expressed a desire to remain in Indianapolis.

“The way I see it is teams take care of their guys,” Pittman said, via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. “If you’re not one of their guys, you’re not one of their guys. I’m just playing day to day and auditioning for 31 teams and just going out there and making a couple plays. I have a commitment to my teammates.”

Those remarks illustrate how the USC alum is aware of his potential market if he reaches free agency. Pittman eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2021, then followed that up with a 99-catch, 925-yard performance last season. His 297 receiving yards through five games entering Sunday’s action lead the Colts, a team which has been in search of complimentary options to Pittman over the past few years.

That effort has resulted in the likes of Alec Pierce and Josh Downs being drafted on Day 2 of the past two drafts, but extending Pittman for the foreseeable future would allow Indianapolis to retain its pass-catching anchor. Doing so will no doubt require a sizeable multi-year investment given his production and the overall landscape at the receiver position, with several players routinely landing eight figures per year on extensions. As a result of the upward trend at the WR spot, a Pittman franchise tag would cost the Colts roughly $23MM.

Pittman added that he is content to play out the remainder of the season without a 2024 agreement in place. As a result, his performances with backup Gardner Minshew at quarterback for the the time being will be worth watching with respect to how it affects his bargaining position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/23

October 11th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Denver releases Humphrey with the intention of adding him back to the team’s practice squad, filling the spot vacated by wide receiver Michael Bandy yesterday. Plus, with young tight end Greg Dulcich expected to return from injured reserve soon, releasing Humphrey opens up a spot on the active roster.

The Colts’ offensive line has been dealing with a couple injuries, so bringing in Boettger will help improve the line’s depth a bit. Boettger, a former undrafted free agent, spent the first five years of his career in Buffalo. He spent much of that time as a backup but did start 17 games in a two-year stretch from 2020-2022. Veteran starting experience is usually an asset worth having on the bench.

Colts Add QB Kellen Mond, WR Anthony Miller To Practice Squad

October 10th, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Ben Levine

With Anthony Richardson sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Colts are adding some quarterback depth. Jordan Schultz reports that the Colts have signed QB Kellen Mond to the practice squad. The signing is pending a physical, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

[RELATED: Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Shoulder Injury]

Mond was one of several QBs to work out for the Colts today, with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reporting that the team also took a look at Holton Ahlers, Trace McSorley, and Anthony Brown. Ultimately, the Colts decided to go with the former Vikings third-round pick.

Mond was selected with the 66th-overall pick in the 2021 draft, and there was hope that he could eventually replace Kirk Cousins as Minnesota’s starting QB. Instead, the Texas A&M product lasted a year with the organization before getting waived prior to the 2022 campaign. He spent all of last season with the Browns and stuck around Cleveland for the 2023 preseason.

The 24-year-old will be a temporary QB3 in Indianapolis. Gardner Minshew will be the starter with Richardson sidelined, and former sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger will serve as the QB2.

Since being diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, Richardson has been seeking multiple opinions before deciding his next step. That additional testing will determine whether the rookie requires a trip to injured reserve, a move that would put Minshew in position to start for at least the next four games.

The Colts weren’t done making moves today. Schultz reports that the organization has also added wide receiver Anthony Miller to the practice squad. The former second-round pick was productive through his first three seasons in the NFL, averaging 50 catches for 570 yards per season. He’s bounced around the league a bit since getting traded during the 2021 offseason, spending time with the Texans, Steelers, and 49ers.

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