What happened to Anthony Richardson? Exploring why Colts QB won't suit up in Week 18 vs Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts expected big things from second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson but the season has come to nothing. Entering Week 18, the Colts have nothing to play for except a slightly higher pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that in mind, the Colts are also being cautious with their roster, especially with Richardson.

The former Florida Gator has been dealing with a back injury that also kept him out of action when they were beat by the New York Giants last week. Richardson missed 13 games last season after a shoulder surgery ended his campaign early on.

Syndication: The Indianapolis Star - Source: Imagn

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What happened to Anthony Richardson?

In an interview this week, Richardson said he was experiencing severe pain from back spasms going all the way back to Christmas Eve. The second-year QB added that he was also having difficulty standing up and muscle relaxants did not quite do the trick on the spasms either.

Richardson racked up three straight DNPs in practice, eventually forcing the franchise to rule him out of its season finale.

Head coach Shane Steichen played down any concerns over a long-term issue with his quarterback, telling reporters in a press conference that he just "didn't make enough progress this week." Steichen also signalled that Richardson will not require surgery to fix the issue.

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Where do Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts go from here?

The Colts clearly have little left to play for so attention in the building will focus on their plans for the 2025 NFL season. There has been no indication that the franchise has any plans to move on from Richardson, who has had his first two seasons in the league disrupted by multiple injuries.

Richardson missed four games with injury this year and was also benched for two more games in favor of Joe Flacco.

Shane Steichen's job is also rumored to be safe for the most part while Flacco has also stopped short of indicating that his time in the NFL is up. Flacco famously led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs in a late run after coming in for an injured Deshaun Watson in 2023.