INDIANAPOLIS – He’s back, wingin’ it like before.
Like before a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder kept him from wingin’ it at all.
Yet there’s always a little reminder that Anthony Richardson still has work ahead of him.
Wednesday, the present and future of the Indianapolis Colts were immersed in a full-scale practice setting for the second time since suffering the season-ending shoulder injury in week 5 of his rookie season. It was Day 2 of the team’s Organized Team Activities (OTAs), and Richardson considered it a normal day at the office.
There was the morning walkthrough, meetings, ongoing rehab on the shoulder and afternoon work that consisted of positional drills, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.
“It just feels like a regular, routine day for me,’’ Richardson said. “Just get my arm ready, go out there and throw.
“Be prepared and that’s about it.’’
His rehab following the Oct. 24 surgery involved regaining strength in the right shoulder and graduated throwing: 20-25 yards, then 30-35. It was clear he always was ahead of whatever timeline had been laid out.
“Now I kind of feel like myself again, throwing 60-plus,’’ Richardson said. “Being able to really throw it, probably a few months now and hopefully I can keep it loose and keep it going like that.’’
There was good and not-so-good Wednesday as Richardson worked in the pocket and displayed his mobility on rollouts.
One of his highlights consisted of Richardson rolling to his left and delivering a pass to tight end Kylen Granson down the sideline.
“Any time he can get out of the pocket and he creates those . . . the touch he threw with it, and then the catch was incredible by Kylen, get two feet in the ground to make that catch,’’ Shane Steichen said. “Those will be big plays for us this year.’’
But on one play, Richardson’s pass to Adonai Mitchell was slightly behind the rookie. On another, he targeted Michael Pittman Jr. despite his go-to receiver being in a crowd of defensive backs. The crashing of bodies left Pittman on the ground for a few minutes with an apparent injury to his left knee.
Pittman left practice, but the injury wasn’t considered serious.
Later, safety Daniel Scott came up with an interception of a low Richardson pass.
“I think with any player you have a little rust every once in a while,’’ Steichen said. “But he’s been pretty smooth out there so far: completing a lot of balls, completion percentage has been good, knowing where to go with the football, which is a good sign.
“But I like where he’s at right now.’’
What’s Steichen looking for as Richardson, the 4th overall selection in the 2023 draft, heads into year 2?
“Just accelerated vision stuff,’’ he said. “Mechanics are obviously part of it, but I think just accelerated vision, knowing where to go with the football and when to go with the football. Going through your reads. Different coverages can dictate where that ball gets thrown.
“So, keep doing that and at a high level.’’
The Colts are expecting Richardson to be the driving force behind a concerted effort to win their first AFC South title since 2014. Despite the presence of a deep pool of skill players – Pittman, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Mitchell, a diverse tight ends room – and the addition of veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco, 2024 is about Richardson taking a giant step in his second season.
And then there’s this: Richardson just turned 22 on Wednesday.
“Yeah, shoot,’’ Steichen said. “A young player, but he has just a great spirit about him, the character he has, how he treats people in the building, outside the building.
“It’s phenomenal.’’
And there’s this: Richardson’s rookie season was limited to four starts, 173 snaps and 84 pass attempts by the shoulder injury and a concussion.
As much as Richardson is convinced he’s in a good place with the shoulder, that shoulder occasionally offers a reminder of what he’s been through.
He was asked if there was a moment he felt like he truly was back.
“I don’t know because every day’s different for me,’’ Richardson said. “Some days, I feel amazing and then some days, I wake up (and) I’m like, ‘Dang, my shoulder’s a little achy.’
“But every day I work and whenever I finish rehab or I’m in the weight room lifting and it’s like, ‘OK, I’m back,’ because I remember a few months ago I couldn’t even lift my arm up.
“Every day, I’m working. I’m back in the meeting rooms. I’m back in there, lifting, pressing, doing whatever. I’m back.’’
One issue will follow Richardson into the season. Is he injury-prone after dealing with the concussion and injuries to his shoulder, knee and ankle last year? Will he have to alter the multi-dimensional aspect to his game that made him so attractive to the Colts?
Richardson mentioned he wants to “stay healthy this season, be out there for the team and play the best that I can play.’’
That doesn’t mean he’ll alter his aggressive approach.
He sustained a concussion in week 2 at Houston when he pulled up as he crossed the goal line a 15-yard touchdown, was whacked by safety M.J. Stewart and hit his head on the turf. Richardson missed the Colts’ week 3 trip to Baltimore.
“That was on me completely because I slowed down by the end zone,’’ he admitted. “You’re never supposed to do that.
“Then everything else just happened because we play a dangerous game.’’
The season-ending shoulder injury occurred when Richardson was tackled from behind by Tennessee defensive end Harold Landry on a designed QB run. His right shoulder was driven into the turf.
“I don’t think there’s any way I could’ve avoided what happened to me,’’ Richardson said. “Just a regular, routine tackle. I tried to brace myself for the fall and my shoulder just did what it did.
“Changing my game and my style? I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with my play style. People see me. I’m a big quarterback so they always think, ‘He wants to run the ball. He wants to be physical and that is what’s going to get him hurt.’
“That’s not the case. I don’t think I want to change it, but being smart on when to get extra yards and when to get down. I feel like I know how to do that. So, I don’t think I’m going to change anything but being smarter for the team.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.