Anthony Richardson Sr. was absent from Wednesday’s practice, and the Colts’ quarterback depth chart could get a little thinner if that continues.
Richardson was on the field during the portion open to the media, but he wasn’t taking part. He wore his red No. 5 jersey without pads, had sweatpants on, and stood off to the side watching reps with a towel over his head while Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard went through individual and positional work.
Richardson’s availability has been a recurring storyline. Last season, the 2023 No. 4 pick missed the final 12 games after a freak pre-game locker room accident left him with a fractured orbital bone and impaired vision.
He later asked for permission to seek a trade at the combine in February, but nothing came together. After skipping Indianapolis’ first couple days of organized team activities in April, he eventually reported to the facility and entered camp competing with Leonard for the backup job behind Jones.
That competition tilted Richardson’s way in the preseason. While both quarterbacks had uneven stretches in practice, Richardson was the sharper player in three exhibition games, going 21-for-33 for 249 yards with one touchdown and two turnovers.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen named him Jones’ backup on Sept. 3.
Even with that role, Richardson’s injury history keeps hanging over the conversation. During his first three seasons, he has dealt with an ankle injury in Week 1 of 2023, a concussion the following game, a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that ended his rookie year in Week 5, a hip injury that cost him two games the next season, and back spasms that shut him down for two more to close 2024. In 2025, after losing the starting job to Jones, he appeared in two games - rushing four times in mop-up duty during a Week 3 blowout of the Titans and later completing a single pass to himself in Week 5 against the Raiders before suffering the severe facial injury.
The Colts are headed to Kansas City on Sunday evening for Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs, and they’re doing it while riding an eight-game losing streak, the longest active run in the league. If Richardson can’t suit up, rookie Riley Leonard would likely move into the backup quarterback spot for that game. Leonard has already played in five games as a rookie, including a start in the season finale at Houston a year ago.
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