Shane Steichen on Anthony Richardson's recovery: 'He's been pretty smooth out there'

As a rookie in 2023, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson flashed his talent but an injury early in the season quickly ended his year and sent him on the road to recovery.

Now, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen has shared that Richardson’s return from injury has gone well to this point.

“I think with any player you have a little rust every once in a while,” Shane Steichen said. “But he’s been pretty smooth out there so far. Completing a lot of balls. Completion percentage has been good. Knowing where to go with the football, which is a good sign.”

The Colts are hanging their hopes for the future on Anthony Richardson. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With that, he became the quarterback of the future in Indianapolis. Still, he was only able to play in four games as a rookie before getting injured.

“But I like where he’s at right now, big time,” Steichen concluded.

Anthony Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. That came shortly after he suffered a concussion and ended up landing him on injured reserve. From there, he was replaced by Gardner Minshew.

Those injuries led to some concerns about Anthony Richardson’s style of play. He’s an excellent and fearless runner, which is part of what makes him unique. However, he also needs to stay healthy.

This comes at a time when the AFC South is full of excellent young quarterback talent. The Jacksonville Jaguars have the most experienced NFL quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, with three seasons of experience. CJ Stroud and Will Levis, meanwhile, were also 2023 NFL Draft selections and are hoping to lead the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans in the future.

Anthony Richardson ‘trending in the right direction’

As Anthony Richardson continues to recover from his AC Joint sprain, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that he is basically back to 100 percent.

“I’m told for the better part of the last six weeks, he’s been a full-go coming off that shoulder surgery. He’s felt good. He started with 10 to 20 [yard] throws earlier this offseason, then ramped it up and now he can rip those 50 and 60 yarders,” Fowler said.

“It’s just a matter of managing a little bit of soreness when he does throw, so the Colts will be cautious with him in 11-man work and OTAs but, he is trending in the right direction.”