Latest News on Anthony Richardson's Timeline to Return from Eye Injury for Colts

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's third season in the NFL was derailed by an eye injury, but he's making some progress.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Colts are opening the 21-day practice window for Richardson "just to get him on the field." Head coach Shane Steichen said the signal-caller "still has some vision limitations, so not fully and 100 percent clear."

Richardson was placed on injured reserve after a freak accident in pregame warmups caused him to suffer an orbital fracture two months ago. He appeared in just two games this season, completing one pass for nine yards.

Had Richardson been healthy, the Colts likely would've turned to him when they lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending torn Achilles. Instead, they coaxed future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers out of retirement, and he will remain the starter for this week's game against the San Francisco 49ers after performing admirably in Sunday's 18-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Athletic's James Boyd reported that a league source said Richardson is "champing at the bit" to return to action. However, Boyd noted that "there are legitimate questions regarding how physically ready he is to resume his career."

Richardson was known for his dual-threat ability, but the Colts would surely prefer to avoid having him take too many hits in the wake of his injury. With three games left in the season, the team's best course could be to shut him down and let him prepare for next season.

Indianapolis (8-6) is riding a four-game losing streak into its matchup against San Francisco (10-4) on Monday Night Football. The Colts will have to continue hoping that Rivers will be able to turn back the clock as they try to earn a spot in the playoffs.