Report: Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson targeting next week for shoulder surgery

According to CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson, Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is discussing targeting next week for season-ending surgery on his injured right throwing shoulder:

It was confirmed by the Colts earlier this week that the sensational rookie’s season is indeed (*and unfortunately) done prematurely.

Richardson will undergo surgery soon as the best medical option to ensure his shoulder, which has a grade 3 AC sprain, gets back to 100% again—and he can have a full recovery.

The initial expectation is that there’s a ‘good chance’ he’ll be ready for spring work in 2024, but without head coach Shane Steichen setting a definite timetable for his return.

While this is obviously a road bump to the fast start Richardson somewhat surprisingly got off to in his promising pro career, the Colts and Richardson are smart to do what’s in his best long-term interests given the importance he means for the future of the franchise.

It’s also encouraging that Richardson is getting the surgery imminently—which will insert stabilizers to strength the sprained joint, sooner rather than later, because it means he can return to the football field even faster next year.

The initial delay for surgery was because both sides wanted to perform their due diligence and receive as many reputable medical evaluations as possible—although shoulder surgery was always the initial expectation between the two parties.