Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson expected to miss 4-6 weeks with AC joint sprain

Although his team managed to fight on to win without him, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a serious injury in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. The former Florida Gators star will undergo further tests to confirm the severity of his injury, a suspected AC joint sprain, but according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Colts are bracing for the worst-case scenario.

“Sources tell me that the initial diagnosis was a Grade 3 AC Joint sprain… If the tests confirm what the initial diagnosis was, you’re looking at a month or longer for Anthony Richardson,” Rapoport said on Good Morning Football on Monday. “It brings Injured Reserve into play for the standout rookie for the Colts and it makes Gardner Minshew gonna be the starter moving forward. I expect him to start this week against the Jaguars at the very least.”

The Colts led the Titans 10-6 before the QB’s injury. Richardson began the game 9-of-12 passing for 98 yards before exiting. He also took one sack for a loss of 17 yards.

The Colts ended up defeating the Titans 23-16 with Gardner Minshew filling in for the rookie. Minshew finished the game going 11-for-14 for 155 yards. Running back Zack Moss led all scorers with two touchdowns.

Richardson dealing with injuries early

Richardson has missed time already this year in concussion protocol, as he was sidelined for Week 3’s overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens. He returned the following week to lead the Colts to another overtime matchup, this time in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Rams.

Indianapolis selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. This year, he’s completed 56.9% of his passes for 479 yards, while tossing in three touchdowns and one interception. As a runner, he has 23 carries for 131 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

With the win over the Titans in the books, the Colts push forward into Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars won two games in London and return to TIAA Bank with a 3-2 record. Indianapolis began the season with a 31-21 loss to Jacksonville.

Minshew, a former starter for the Jaguars, has significant reps this season due to Richardson’s injury issues. He has 553 passing yards, a 68.7% completion rate, and two touchdowns. He’s taken five sacks to Richardson’s seven so far this season. If the rookie’s injury is confirmed, Minshew could take over for games against Jacksonville, Cleveland, New Orleans and Carolina.