Anthony Richardson Reportedly Recovered from Injury amid Colts' QB1 Battle vs. Jones

On the brink of training camp opening next week, Anthony Richardson could be on the field as he battles Daniel Jones to be the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback entering the regular season.

Per ESPN's Stephen Holder, Richardson is believed to have recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out of mandatory minicamp.

Holder did note it's possible the Colts will keep Richardson on a pitch count early in camp as he ramps back up. He has recently been "throwing the ball with velocity" while working with his personal coaches in Florida.

Colts veterans are scheduled to report to camp on July 22.

Richardson, 23, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Florida despite serving as a starter for only one season.

His rookie season was cut short after only four games due to an AC joint sprain in his shoulder that ultimately required surgery. Richardson aggravated that injury during OTAs this summer, which is why he missed minicamp.

Richardson opened last season as the Colts' starting quarterback, but he missed a couple of weeks with an oblique injury and struggled when he did see the field, which led to a temporary benching in favor of veteran Joe Flacco.

Although Richardson eventually won the starting job back, his overall performance in 2024 left plenty to be desired.

Richardson did go 6-5 in 11 starts, but he completed only 47.7 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 499 yards and six scores.

In an effort to bring in some legitimate competition for Richardson, the Colts signed Jones to a one-year deal in free agency this offseason.

Jones was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and he seemed to have a breakout season in 2022 when he surprisingly led the Giants to the playoffs.

That year, Jones completed 67.2 percent of his passing attempts for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five picks, and rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns, landing him a four-year contract extension.

Things went downhill from there for Jones, though, as he went 1-5 in 2023 before torn ACL ended his season. Jones then posted a 2-8 record last season, leading to his release.

If Richardson can put in a full camp, it will open things up for head coach Shane Steichen and the rest of the staff to get a full evaluation of both quarterbacks before making a decision on the starter when they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 on Sept. 7.