The Indianapolis Colts were without their backup quarterback, Anthony Richardson, after he suffered an orbital fracture during the buildup to Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.
ESPN reported that Richardson was hit with a pole fixed to an elastic exercise band while warming up in the locker room before the game. The pole snapped during the warmup and whipped into Richardson’s face, causing the fracture. The 23-year-old was taken to hospital but the Colts did not provide any further details. A source told ESPN that Richardson is likely to miss several weeks with the injury and swelling to his face has temporarily affected his vision. His eye is believed to have escaped any permanent damage.
The Colts selected Richardson with the No 4 overall pick in 2023. He is a threat in the passing and running game, and scouts saw him as having huge upside but also potential as a bust when he came out of college. His time in the NFL so far has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries and Daniel Jones has taken over as the Colts starter this season, leading them to a 5-1 record.
The Colts suffered another blow during warmups for Sunday’s game when they lost their No 1 cornerback, Charvarius Ward, to a concussion after he accidentally collided with a teammate.
“That it was very interesting to say the least,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said after the game. “We had to kind of rally the troops there in the locker room and get us back into focus. I thought our guys did that the right way. Just obviously hope AR [Richardson] is good and [Ward] is good. Yeah, it was just trying to get the guys back into focus.”
