Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5 and underwent surgery to repair the issue in late October.
The good news is that Richardson is making significant progress and plans to start throwing the football as early as next month.
“They said 16 weeks after the surgery, but hopefully, I’m trying to push to get [back] before that, but we’ll see,” Richardson said, via James Boyd and Jenna West of The Athletic. “Hopefully, I can throw next month, but if not, whenever that time does come, I know I’m going to rip it.”
Richardson said that the whole process has been tough, because he is not used to being injured for extended periods of time, but he is learning a lot.
“It’s been up and down for me a little bit,” Richardson said. “I never missed a season in my whole career just playing football, and this is something new for me, a new experience. It’s allowing me to learn more about myself, learn more about the game and learn more about the people that I do have in the building.”
Richardson initially hoped to avoid surgery, but he said doctors told him it would be the best option for him over the long haul.
“Although I didn’t want to get the surgery at the time — I wanted to play and I wanted to be there for my team — this was probably the best thing for me and my future and for the team,” Richardson said. “It allows me to come back healthy, 100 percent. I’m looking forward to next season, balling out.”
The 21-year-old threw for 577 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while completing 59.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 87.3. In addition, he rushed for 136 yards and four scores while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Anthony Richardson, who played his collegiate football at the University of Florida, was selected by the Colts with the fourth overall pick of the NFL Draft back in the spring.
Indianapolis is 8-6 and will take on the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. It will then battle the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans to close out the regular season.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
