Colts rest QB Anthony Richardson on final day of minicamp with soreness in throwing shoulder

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Richardson jogged onto the field for Thursday's final minicamp practice.

Then he started throwing — left-handed. The scene created a brief scare for Indianapolis Colts fans.

Thirty-five minutes later, Richardson and coach Shane Steichen tried to ease those concerns by acknowledging the second-year quarterback was held out of practice as a precautionary measure because his surgically repaired right shoulder was sore.

“Rest assured, if we played Sunday, he'd be starting,” Steichen said. “He just had some soreness. He experienced some soreness during practice (Wednesday), so we just held him out. It's just part of the deal."

Richardson's health has fueled many discussions since he had surgery last fall.

Yes, he showed promise in the four games he played as a rookie last season. But his continual injuries — one which caused him to miss a game and three others that forced him to depart games early — had many Colts fans asking what could be done to keep Richardson healthy this season.

The good news: Richardson continues to say his recovery is ahead of schedule and he's pushed himself to get back on the field as quickly as possible.

The bad news: It sounds all too familiar in Indianapolis.

Many expected Peyton Manning to return in 2011 despite a lingering neck injury. He never did. A similar scenario played out twice with his successor, Andrew Luck, first when he missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury and again in 2019, when ankle and calf injuries eventually led to his abrupt August retirement.

So when the Colts starting quarterback sits out, even even during a three-day minicamp in June, consternation follows.

“I'm good, just a little soreness,” Richardson said. “I've been dealing with soreness since I started throwing, you know, but it's hard to listen to the trainers who tell you to sit out for a day. I don't want to sit out, but it's part of the health journey so I'm just resting and listening to them.”

He didn't skip everything Thursday. He did some light work in position drills and he made a few light, left-handed tosses. But he left the heavy lifting to backups Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger and undrafted rookie Kedon Clovis.

And now, he'll have six more weeks to rest, recover and heal up before players report for training camp in Westfield, Indiana, a northwestern suburb of Indianapolis.

Richardson can't wait to get started.

“We're actually surprised there's only been one day like this,” he said. “Everything's been smooth sailing so far, and, luckily, it was the last day so we're not too worried about it."

Indy also announced Thursday that it would hold joint workouts with the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 14 and 15. That means rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be working out in front of Colts fans, just like his father did during his Hall of Fame career.

Indy also will visit Cincinnati for joint workouts on Aug. 20 and 22.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl