Anthony Richardson Sr. has been on the injured reserve list for the past seven weeks since suffering an eye injury. The Indianapolis Colts provided an update on where he currently stands ahead of their crucial Week 14 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They gave insight into when he could potentially return.
Try out PFSN’s FREE playoff predictor, where you can simulate every 2025-26 NFL season game and see how it all shakes out!
Will Anthony Richardson Sr. Return This Year?
Richardson required surgery to repair a broken orbital bone after suffering an eye injury during pregame warmups for the Colts. His head coach, Shane Steichen, recently provided an update on the quarterback’s progress in his recovery and when he could potentially return, according to Joel A. Erickson.
“It’s an eye issue. We’re just waiting for that to get clearance. Any time you’re dealing with an eye, you want to make sure he’s got full vision in that eye. He’s resting it right now … He’s just doing some stuff in the weight room right now, getting back into it … We’re hopeful,” explained Steichen.
It’s a positive sign that Richardson has begun working out at Colts facilities again, but he has yet to gain clearance to resume football activities, according to Steichen. Until he received medical permission to participate with full contact, he seemingly has a way to go before potentially making his return for an actual game.
He was once one of the most hyped quarterback prospects in the NFL, but his outlook has plummeted amid his on-field struggles in his young career. This sparked the Colts to bring in Daniel Jones to compete for the starting job for the 2025 NFL season. Jones won the role in training camp and hasn’t looked back during his breakout campaign.
Jones currently ranks fifth among all quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this year. Josh Allen and Drake Maye currently top the list, with Jordan Love and Brock Purdy right behind them. Jones is the only other quarterback with a season-long score higher than 86 with Week 14 approaching.
His impressive success in his first season with the Colts clearly suggests that if Richardson can make a return before the end of the year, it would almost definitely be in a backup role. Rookie Riley Leonard currently serves as Jones’ primary backup, while Brett Rypien is presently on their practice squad. If Richardson can recover in time to be activated before the end of the season, he would presumably be their second or third quarterback.