Either way, it feels all too familiar. We’ve been here before—too many times, in fact. Anthony Richardson is hurt again. Shocking, right? At this point, not getting injured would be the real headline. The same A/C joint issue that sidelined him for most of his rookie campaign has resurfaced. There’s no talk of surgery, but the return timeline is unclear. Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, the signs are becoming hard to ignore: this doesn’t look good for Richardson—or the Colts.
Cue the reactions:
“Why so negative?”
“It’s only June, chill out.”
“Already giving up? Weak take.”
“You’re my favorite writer on Stampede Blue!”
Okay, maybe not that last one. But you get the point.
Sure, Richardson is young and still has time to develop, but the NFL doesn’t hand out unlimited chances. The injury list is getting longer—ankle, concussion, shoulder, back—and now we’re revisiting an old wound before the season even begins. I get sore from pulling weeds or sneezing too hard, but I’m 36 and out of shape. Richardson is supposed to be a rare athletic talent, not someone whose body breaks down this easily—or this early.
Taken on its own, a minor injury in June is typically no cause for alarm. But this isn’t an isolated case. We’ve seen this movie before, and the pattern is setting in. Across sports, very few players who struggle with injuries this early go on to have Hall-of-Fame careers. Richardson’s development has been hampered from day one, and now he’s got real competition in Daniel Jones—something he hasn’t truly faced yet. Yes, there was that brief benching for Joe Flacco, but that felt more like a statement than a serious demotion.
No matter how small this current setback seems, it’s hard to ignore its implications. I truly hope I’m wrong and this becomes just a footnote in an otherwise healthy and productive 2025 season for Richardson. But where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. And this smoke is starting to cloud the future.
In most cases, a June injury would barely register. But with Richardson, every missed snap matters. He’s still trying to get his footing in year three, and even minor interruptions are setbacks. Whether Daniel Jones eventually takes the reins or not remains to be seen. But the possibility that Richardson won’t pan out—and that the Colts will be forced to hit reset yet again—feels more real than ever.