It was a brief sample size, but Anthony Richardson flashed his sky-high potential during his rookie campaign with the Colts last season. The big question surrounding the former No. 4 overall pick, however, is his availability. Richardson played just four games for Indianapolis in 2023 due to a variety of injuries, including a season-ending shoulder ailment that he has been recovering from throughout the offseason.
During offseason activities, Richardson did give folks a bit of a scare as he had some soreness in that surgically repaired shoulder. The QB downplayed the issue earlier this month and does seem to be on a positive trajectory as the Colts gear up for the start of training camp. During an appearance on "The GM Shuffle" podcast, general manager Chris Ballard relayed that he expects Richardson to be a full participant to begin camp.
"He'll be full-go," said Chris Ballard, via NFL.com. "He was full-go all the way up until the last day of OTAs, and we had two heavy throwing sessions the two days before, and so we backed off a little on the last day."
If that proves to be the case and Richardson can put together a full training camp, it's a tremendous development for Indianapolis and its young quarterback. That should allow Richardson to put together a solid foundation for his sophomore campaign and pile up some much-needed reps following his limited showing in 2023.
Richardson noted earlier this offseason that he has bulked up and is up to 255 pounds, despite being listed at 244 pounds on the official team website. The 22-year-old didn't say his weight gain was an attempt to better absorb hits and stay on the field, but it should prove to be a byproduct of it. And if Richardson can remain healthy, it could allow Indy to be a dark horse in an increasingly competitive AFC South.
