Report: Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson ‘optimistic’ about returning for Week 4 game

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who has already been declared out for Sunday’s game (by remaining in the league’s concussion protocol and missing three straight practices), is ‘optimistic’ about returning for a Week 4 home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams:

Holding Richardson out this week is 100% the right call by the Colts franchise bigger picture, as this season is all about ensuring Richardson’s future growth and development.

Rushing him back with zero practice time and with a third-string center, Wesley French, starting (as Ryan Kelly is also out with a concussion) against a notoriously blitz happy Baltimore Ravens defense isn’t really setting up the top rookie quarterback for ideal success.

In fact, it’s something that could otherwise cause him to take two steps backward.

Concussions are a very serious matter these days, and the Colts are smart to give Richardson an extra week to recover (to potentially avoid what happened with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a year ago).

Colts veteran backup Gardner Minshew is more accurate and gets the ball out quicker than the rookie Richardson at this stage of their respective careers, so he should be able to hold his own out there in relief of Richardson—even in a tough road matchup.

Instead, Richardson can simply watch, take notes, and absorb this Sunday’s game day like a sponge, in the hopes of better preparing himself mentally for the Rams just a week later.