The Indianapolis Colts will close the regular season without Anthony Richardson on the field.
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Richardson will not be activated from injured reserve for the team's Week 18 game, ending his third NFL season sidelined by the orbital fracture he suffered in October. He appeared in two games as a reserve before the injury shut him down again.
Despite the lost time and losing a preseason quarterback competition to Daniel Jones, Richardson said his belief in himself has not wavered.
"Oh, yeah. No doubt," Richardson said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN. "If I've still got a chance to play football, then it's all out there."
Whether that opportunity comes in Indianapolis remains an open question. If the Colts bring Jones back this offseason, the expectation would be that he enters next year as the starter once he returns from a torn Achilles. Richardson would then be heading into the final year of his rookie contract with a franchise that appears to be charting a different course.
A trade is not out of the question. Richardson missed most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury and has had limited chances to establish himself since being taken near the top of the 2023 draft. Those opportunities have yet to firmly cement him as the long-term answer the Colts hoped they were getting.
Either way, Richardson's season ends early again. His future, much like his health, remains uncertain.
