The Indianapolis Colts have spent much of the second half of the season dealing with instability at quarterback. That uncertainty has only grown in recent weeks.
It started when Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, followed by the Colts turning to 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who came out of retirement to start three games. Rivers will not play in Week 18, and even then, Anthony Richardson Sr. is also inactive for Indianapolis.
Latest Update on Anthony Richardson’s Status
Richardson returned to practice last month after suffering a frightening pregame eye injury in October. The Colts confirmed that the young quarterback had been cleared for football activities, a significant step after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone, and the expectation was that he would return to play this year.
Richardson said his vision has continued to improve since undergoing the procedure, although he admitted that his right eye has not yet fully returned to normal. Shane Steichen noted that the Colts will closely monitor how the quarterback handles a heavier workload and whether any remaining vision issues affect his ability to practice consistently.
The injury occurred during pregame warmups, when Richardson was struck near the eye, resulting in immediate swelling and a recovery process that lasted several weeks. He added that doctors initially warned he might not receive clearance until after the season, making his return sooner than expected.
Despite the progress, Richardson will not play in Week 18 against the Houston Texans, as Riley Leonard will make the first start of his career in Rivers’ absence.
Richardson is still on the injured reserve, and recently answered questions about his future with the Colts. “I always want my life to be better, better than it was before,” Richardson said, according to the Athletic. “I haven’t necessarily thought about my future here because I don’t see anything wrong right now. Setbacks happen. The injury to my eye kind of happened, so that kind of dictated what happened throughout the season.”
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Despite his injury, Richardson is optimistic about his career and future in the NFL. “Oh, yeah, no doubt,” Richardson said of his potential. “If I still got a chance to play football, then, s**t, it’s always out there for me.”
The Colts are expected to bring back Daniel Jones, and that makes Richardson an intriguing trade target for several teams around the league. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him as a move away from Indianapolis could be the better option for both parties.
Indianapolis Colts’ Stats and Insights for Week 18
Team: The Indianapolis Colts started 8-2 against opponents who entered Week 18 with a combined 69-91 record. Two of the wins were against the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Colts are on a six-game losing streak against opponents with a combined 66-30 record. The Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) are the only team with a losing record that the Colts have faced during the losing streak.
QB: Riley Leonard is expected to make his first career start. He had a QBi of 73.8 (C) in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Offense: Jonathan Taylor had 1,018 rush yards and 15 touchdowns in eight wins. He has 541 rush yards and three touchdowns in eight losses.
Defense: The Colts allowed 20.6 points per game with 14 turnovers during the team’s 8-2 start. In the last six games, they’ve allowed 28.0 points per game with seven turnovers.
Fantasy: Jonathan Taylor averaged 23.9 PPG with Daniel Jones under center. Since Jones went down, Taylor has still been solid, but the elite ceiling is gone, as he is only averaging 15.0 PPG. The Colts are going to start Riley Leonard, and the Houston Texans need to try to keep their faint division hopes alive.
