INDIANAPOLIS – The waiting is nearly over for Anthony Richardson.
Maybe.
The rookie quarterback and future of the Indianapolis Colts hit the midpoint of his recovery from season-ending shoulder surgery – eight weeks out on Tuesday – and soon might be allowed to resume throwing.
Talking with the media Tuesday during an event at Riley’s Children’s Hospital, Richardson admitted “I think I’m progressing way faster than everyone thought.’’
The No. 4 overall pick in the draft suffered a grade-3 sprain to the AC joint in his right shoulder in week 5 against Tennessee when Titans’ linebacker Harold Landry tackled him from behind and fell on Richardson’s shoulder.
Richardson underwent surgery on Oct. 24 in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache handling the procedure.
If there were no setbacks in the rehab process, the objective was for him to begin throwing next month.
“They said 16 weeks after the surgery, but hopefully I’m trying to push to get (back) before that,’’ Richardson told reporters. “But we’ll see.
“Hopefully I can throw next month, but if not, whenever that time does come, I know I’m gonna rip it.’’
Richardson started four of the first five games – he missed the week 3 win at Baltimore with a concussion – and gave every indication he’s the Colts’ long-term answer at quarterback.
The 6-4, 244-pounder passed for 577 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 136 yards and four more TDs.
Richardson is back with the team and balancing his rehab with staying connected with his teammates. He watches and interacts with players at practice and during games, and is immersed in classroom work.
Gardner Minshew II has stepped in for Richardson and has the Colts in the midst of a serious push for a playoff spot. They’ll take an 8-6 record into Sunday’s road test at Atlanta, which is tied for first in the AFC South and good enough to possess one of three AFC wild-card spots at this point.
The future, though, rests with Richardson and there’s no overstating the importance of how he handles his time off the field while he recovers.
“It’s a great learning environment for a young quarterback, a rookie quarterback,’’ offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Tuesday. “Anthony is around a lot. He’s in a ton of these meetings. He’s asking questions when the time is right. It’s a unique situation because there is a lot to be learned in this sport, in this league, in this building and Anthony, gosh, he wants to learn a lot of it.
“You’ve got the ability to learn some things when you’re not going into the line of fire, right? Anthony . . . has been good around here, obviously doing a lot of work on his rehab, which is most important. We’ve got to get back healthy. There is a lot to be learned here and he’s attacking that.”
Initially, Richardson balked at the idea of season-ending surgery.
“I wanted to play and I wanted to be there for my team,’’ he said, “but this was probably the best thing for me and my future and for the team. It allows me to come back healthy, 100 percent.’’
Richardson added his rookie season “just flew by.’’
“Everything went so fast,’’ he said. “I never really had time to sit down and study the game for real. Just having this opportunity to watch Gardner and how he goes through the week and processes defenses, I’m trying to get to that level.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.