Colts QB Anthony Richardson will "probably" miss the rest of the regular season, ESPN's Stephen Holder reports. The rookie might need surgery on his injured right shoulder. That came from Colts owner Jim Irsay, and it should mean Gardner Minshew starting the rest of the season. Richardson remains a high-upside asset for dynasty fantasy football teams. We're not projecting much difference for other Colts offensive pieces with Minshew in place of Richardson. If anything, the swap likely means more passing volume and less goal-line competition for the RBs.
Colts QB Gardner Minshew threw for 329 yards in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, but that's about the only nice thing you could say about his performance. The fill-in went 33 of 55 (60%), with 3 INTs and a lost fumble -- and Minshew was fortunate to not throw even another pick or two. He should be nowhere close to your fantasy lineup (if you can help it) for home dates with the Browns and Saints the next two weeks.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is "strongly considering" season-ending surgery to repair the damaged AC joint in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Richardson and the Colts sought four or five different opinions on the shoulder, "with a procedure deemed by some as the best option to fully heal his right throwing shoulder," per Rapoport. The labrum in Richardson's shoulder is not torn, Rapoport adds, and the ligaments "looked better than expected." But Richardson's long-term health is more important to the Colts than his short-term availability. We'll keep you updated on Richardson, who can still be stashed in deep fantasy leagues. But fantasy owners should start plan on being without him for the rest of the season.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is expected to miss four to eight weeks with his shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Richardson was placed on IR earlier today, knocking him out for at least the next four games. But he could miss time beyond that, "depending on his rehab and whether or not he still would need surgery on his right shoulder," per Schefter. Despite Richardson's top-5 weekly upside, he's droppable in standard-sized fantasy leagues.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson has been placed on IR with his Grade 3 AC joint sprain. That knocks him out for at least the next four games vs. the Jaguars, Browns, Saints, and Panthers. The rookie is droppable in shallower fantasy leagues without an IR spot. QB Gardner Minshew will step in as Indianapolis' starter for however long Richardson is out. Minshew is a capable veteran who's already registered a 68.7% completion rate with two TDs vs. 0 INTs this season. He might even be a slight upgrade for WRs Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
Colts HC Shane Steichen wouldn't give a timetable for QB Anthony Richardson's return from his shoulder injury on Monday but did rule the rookie out for this weekend's game vs. the Jaguars. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the Colts are "bracing for the QB to miss 4-6 weeks of time." We'll look for further updates on Richardson's status. QB Gardner Minshew will be back under center this weekend.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Colts QB Anthony Richardson has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain. If a Monday morning MRI confirms that, Richardson would be expected to miss at least a month. Indy's bye doesn't come until Week 11, so that would mean at least four starts for Gardner Minshew. We're not sure the QB switch makes much difference for the outlooks of Indy pass-catchers. Minshew obviously doesn't come close to Richardson in fantasy-scoring upside. But he has been a functional starter across three teams now, including 227 yards and 1 TD in a Week 3 OT win at Baltimore this year. Losing Richardson for a month plus will make him tough to keep on some fantasy rosters, if you don't have an IR spot or deep bench.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson suffered an apparent right shoulder injury in the second quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Titans. He headed into the medical tent and was replaced by QB Gardner Minshew. We'll update Richardson's status when we know more.
Update: Richardson is officially questionable to return.
Update: Richardson has been ruled out.
Colts QB Gardner Minshew completed 27 passes on 44 attempts for 227 yards and 1 TD in Week 3 vs. the Ravens. Those who needed a spot starter in 2QB or superflex leagues can’t be too upset with the results from Sunday’s OT win, though Minshew wasn’t anything special. Hopefully, rookie QB Anthony Richardson will be back under center for Indianapolis in Week 4 vs. the Rams.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Ravens. We’ll see if the rookie can get cleared for Week 4. Richardson will be replaced by QB Gardner Minshew, who played well in relief last week and has experience in HC Shane Steichen’s offense from their time together in Philadelphia. Minshew is only a viable play in 2-QB and Superflex leagues, but he should keep this Colts offense afloat.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) remained sidelined on Thursday. He's now looking unlikely to play vs. the Ravens this weekend. That'd leave QB Gardner Minshew under center. Minshew is a capable passer, sporting a career 63% completion rate and 7.1 yards per attempt. And the Colts probably attempt at least a few more passes with Minshew than Richardson. WR Michael Pittman is a nice fantasy WR2 regardless of who's at QB for Indianapolis.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson remains in the concussion protocol and won't practice on Wednesday, HC Shane Steichen said. Richardson will need to be cleared for at least a limited practice on Thursday to have a shot to play vs. the Ravens this weekend. Fantasy owners should have a Week 3 backup option in place. QB Gardner Minshew will start if Richardson can't.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson left Week 2’s game vs. the Texans in the second quarter due to a concussion. Before leaving the contest, he completed 6 passes on 10 attempts for 56 yards and totaled 35 rushing yards with a pair of TDs on the ground. The rookie’s early performance was strong enough that fantasy managers who started Richardson can’t be too concerned about their matchups. We’ll keep an eye on how he progresses through NFL concussion protocol as this coming week unfolds. QB Gardner Minshew (19 completions on 23 attempts, 171 passing yards, 1 TD vs. the Texans) would likely be the Colts’ starter in Week 3 vs. the Ravens if Richardson cannot play.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson left in the first half of Sunday's game vs. the Texans to be checked for a concussion. Stay tuned for an update. QB Gardner Minshew is in for the Colts.
Update: Richardson has been ruled out with a concussion. We'll track his progress through the protocol this coming week.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson bruised his left knee in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars but "will be fine," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. We'll see whether that means Richardson will be ready for a Week 2 visit to Houston. QB Gardner Minshew took over for the final few plays against Jacksonville.
Colts HC Shane Steichen announced Tuesday morning that they've named QB Anthony Richardson the regular-season starter. It's not a surprising move, but it's noteworthy that Steichen announced it after just one preseason game. Whether that signals more confidence in how far along Richardson already is or just a desire to commit to him earlier doesn't really matter. Richardson also doesn't need to be as "good" at football as most QBs to contribute fantasy value. Even with sack yardage subtracted (per college stat practice), Richardson still averaged 54.5 rushing yards per game across 12 starts in his only full season as Florida's starter. Combine that with a big arm and displayed aptitude for throwing deep, and you have a QB with immediate upside into the top 12. Check our fantasy football QB rankings to see where Richardson lands after this announcement.
Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson has already cracked the top 12 QBs in Underdog Fantasy ADP. Drafters are obviously chasing his rushing upside, and he'll need big ground production to deliver for fantasy. There have been seven rookie-QB seasons in NFL history that would have ranked among last year's top 12 QB scores. That group had a median of 34.0 rushing yards per game (578 yards over a 17-game season) and a median of 234.8 passing yards per game. All seven of those rookie QBs averaged at least 213.3 passing yards per game. That would obviously be an easier level for Richardson to reach right away. And he's capable of smashing that 34-yard rushing benchmark. Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts all exceeded 50 rushing yards per game in 2022. Colts owner Jim Irsay recently reiterated that the team won't be scared to play Richardson early. The rookie doesn't sit as high in our 2023 fantasy football rankings as he does in Underdog ADP. But he certainly has the upside to deliver QB1-level production. Read more about his upside (and downside) in our Richardson profile.
Colts owner Jim Irsay hinted on Monday that his team plans to get rookie QB Anthony Richardson on the field early. "We know it’s going to be tough. But he has to play to get better," Irsay said on the Pat McAfee Show. "There’s no question. Gardner [Minshew] could play better early on, him just being a veteran. But we have to get Anthony on the field." Irsay added that HC Shane Steichen will ultimately decide when Richardson takes over as the starter. But Steichen had a similar message back in April, saying, "the development of players comes with more experience." We just bumped Richardson's projection up to 14 games played -- and that might still be conservative. His rushing ability gives him obvious QB1 upside whenever he takes the field.
Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter gave his early impressions of rookie QB Anthony Richardson. “I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders. Kind of sees and understands what’s going on around him at a pretty high level,” Cooter said. “I’ve been really impressed with him just dealing with him in meeting rooms and different situations that we all encounter each other in. So (he) just has had a good way about him handling this stuff." Cooter believes Richardson’s experience at Florida will prepare him for life in Indianapolis. “Shoot, playing quarterback in the NFL, you’re usually going to have your ups and your downs. You’re usually going to have some criticism and some praise. I think that’s a really good trait to walk in the door with, the ability to handle what’s coming at you and have a good mindset about it, and I think Anthony’s done a nice job of that so far, at least in my eyes.” Richardson remains the favorite to start at least a majority of the games for Indy in 2023. Looking at fantasy PPG, he projects as a fringe top-15 QB.
Colts owner Jim Irsay told NFL.com's Judy Battista that QB Anthony Richardson will start games this season. It's fair to wonder how much knowledge or input Irsay actually has on this. As the team owner, he shouldn't really be involved with on-field decisions. And he certainly doesn't tend to hold back with his public comments. But QBs chosen early in Round 1 historically are likely to take over the starting job at some point in Year 1 -- most commonly before mid-season. Many evaluators think Richardson will need more development time than Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. But there are others who believe he's much closer to ready. Indy signed QB Gardner Minshew for just $3.5 million on a one-year deal in free agency. That's light even for a backup at this point. So they clearly didn't sign Minshew intending to have him start for a year. We already have Richardson projected to start more than half his rookie season in our 2023 fantasy football QB rankings. And we'll be watching his offseason closely. His rushing ability makes the upside enormous.
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