Colts' Anthony Richardson Disappoints NFL Fans in Rusty Preseason Return After Injury

Anthony Richardson hasn't played an NFL game since Oct. 8 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during his 2023 rookie season.

And on Sunday, it showed.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback looked rusty against the Denver Broncos in his preseason debut, finishing 2-of-4 for 25 yards across two series. He also had one rushing yard.

It was a tough return to action, as Richardson got away with a throw that probably should have been intercepted and would have made his stat line look even worse. And yes, fans and pundits took note on social media:

It's important to remember that Richardson is essentially still a rookie after only playing in four games last season and throwing just 84 total passes, completing 50 of them for 577 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

He impressed with his fearless running style, notching 136 yards and four touchdowns, but it also put him in harm's way and subjected him to a number of huge hits. He also missed a Week 3 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens last season due to a concussion.

So keeping Richardson healthy this season is a huge priority, but the Colts also need him to take a step forward as a pocket passer. Sunday wasn't necessarily a step in the right direction, though it was an incredibly small sample size in his first action back after a 10-month layoff.

In other words, Colts fans shouldn't be reading too much into the performance.