Anthony Richardson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was immediately handed the reins to the starting quarterback job after the team had cycled through years of stopgap options following Andrew Luck's surprise retirement before the 2019 season.
Then, in Week 5 of his rookie campaign, Richardson went down with a shoulder injury. It would end up requiring surgery in late October, knocking him out for the season after just 173 snaps.
Now, Richardson is deep into his rehab as he prepares for his sophomore year in the NFL. Still, that doesn't mean he's fully healthy, and the second-year pro reportedly sat out the last voluntary Minicamp practice of the spring on Thursday, according to Kevin Bowen of 93.5 The Fan.
When speaking about the missed practice, Richardson downplayed the severity of the soreness, citing the fact that he took nearly all the Colts' first team reps in Minicamp:
“I’m good, just a little sore. I’ve been dealing with soreness since I started throwing, just my shoulder. It’s hard to listen to the trainers sometimes [when they say] ‘No, you’ve got to sit out for a day.’ I don’t want to sit out, but it’s part of the health journey.”
Richardson's shoulder hasn't been too much of an inhibitor during minicamp practices, as his arm strength and touch appear to be in working order.
Even if he is still sore for a few days, the good news is that Richardson will have plenty of time to rest until training camp. The Colts plan to start full-team practices around July 24.
