Anthony Richardson Cleared, Jonathan Taylor Out for Colts vs. Dolphins amid Injuries

The Indianapolis Colts will have half their starting backfield back for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Friday that Colts head coach Shane Steichen said running back Jonathan Taylor will not play as he continues to recover from the high-ankle sprain he suffered. However, quarterback Anthony Richardson was cleared to start after missing the last two games because of a right oblique injury.

Richardson suffered the injury during Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and was unable to take the field for the ensuing matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.

Yet the Colts still went 2-1 in those three games thanks in large part to veteran Joe Flacco.

Flacco completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception during that span. Even in the one loss to the Jaguars, he threw for 359 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions and elevated the offense in the absence of Richardson and Taylor.

Still, Indianapolis made Richardson the franchise quarterback when it selected him with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, and it surely wants him healthy and under center to see if he can fully live up to his potential.

Injuries have been a consistent problem in the early going of his career, as he played just four games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury and has failed to finish four of his eight total starts across his two seasons.

His ability to make plays with his legs means he is all the more difficult to stop for opposing defenses. However, it also puts him at further injury risk as he takes additional hits as a runner who escapes the pocket.

Whether Richardson is able to stay healthy moving forward could determine the 3-3 Colts' ceiling, but they will likely need Taylor back and healthy at some point as well if they are going to make a playoff push.

Taylor isn't that far removed from leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) in 2021 and can be one of the league's best running backs when he is on the field.

He told reporters Tuesday he was "definitely feeling better this week," which suggests he may not be that far away from a return. But that will have to wait until at least Week 8's divisional game against the Houston Texans because he will not be on the field to face the Dolphins.