WESTFIELD – The vibes Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium should resonate, whether the roof is open or not.
That’s the likely impact as the most influential member of the Indianapolis Colts returns to the playing field for the first time since week 5 of the 2023 season.
Denver offers the opposition, but the Broncos are window-dressing. It could be the USA’s bronze-medal-winning women’s rugby sevens team.
Anthony Richardson is beyond eager. Period.
“It’ll be great,’’ he said following Friday morning’s training camp practice at Grand Park Sports Campus. “I get to run out in front of the supporters and the fans again. They can see me live and in the flesh once again.
“So, it’s a blessing. I’m thankful coach Shane is letting me play this game and I get to go out there and make a few plays.’’
The optimism and anticipation that followed the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft into the season vanished when Richardson suffered a sprained right shoulder on Oct. 8 against the Tennessee Titans. Surgery later that month ended his season.
Now, he’s back. After strenuous rehab, the offseason program, veteran minicamp and 10 training camp practices.
“The main thing is just me returning to the field,’’ Richardson said. “I haven’t played a down of football in a while. So, it’s a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to get back on the field.’’
Coach Shane Steichen plans on playing his starters for “a series or two, and then we’ll get the young guys in there and give them opportunities.’’
The overriding objective is for the Colts to look competent and, hopefully, productive, regardless of which unit is on the field.
“Just execution at a high level,’’ Steichen said, focusing on the offense. “Go out there, have a good first drive.’’
But there’s no downplaying the significance of Richardson’s presence. A franchise that hasn’t won the AFC South since 2014 and has missed the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including the last three, will only go as far as Richardson takes it.
And after the shoulder injury limited him to four starts, 173 snaps and 84 pass attempts as a rookie, Richardson needs every repetition he can get.
“He got some experience last year with the games that he played in,’’ Steichen said. “Obviously, he had a good offseason, and training camp has been going good so far.
“So, it’ll be exciting to see him out there on Sunday. I can’t wait. I’m happy for him to get back out there. It’s been a long process for him going through his rehab, but he’s attacked it the right way every day.
“To get him back out there with the guys on Sunday is going to be awesome.’’
Richardson is eager to prove the extensive work put in since the Oct. 24 surgery achieved the desired results. He’s looked strong during camp, whether it’s been pushing the football down the field in the pass game or working with Jonathan Taylor to threaten the defense with his legs.
According to IndyStar, Richardson completed 14-of-17 passes with four touchdowns during Friday’s 11-on-11 work. It might have been the No. 1 offense’s most efficient practice.
Richardson insisted the risk of injury isn’t lingering in his mind. Along with the shoulder, the versatile 6-4, 244-pounder suffered a concussion and a knee injury last season. He was able to finish just two of his four starts.
“I’ve been doing a lot of different things just to prepare myself for the contact of this sport,’’ he said. “I don’t think there’s anything that people should worry about because I’m not worried about getting hit or anything.
“I’m 100 percent ready. My shoulder can handle it. So, this is more so just being back on the field and just playing football again.’’
Rookie exposure
It’s worth noting the Colts gave Richardson decent preseason exposure as a rookie.
He directed three series and was on the field for 29 snaps in the opener at Buffalo, did not play in week 2 against Chicago after two joint practices against the Bears leading up to the game, then led six series involving 37 snaps at Philadelphia.
Richardson, and who else?
As Steichen mentioned, one or two starters might not step on the field Sunday.
The playing time for the offensive line almost certainly will mirror that of Richardson. That means a series or two for left tackle Bernhard Raimann, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Will Fries and either Braden Smith or Blake Freeland at right tackle. Smith missed the first few days of camp while completing his rehab following offseason knee surgery.
It will be interesting to see how much work, if any, Steichen gives Taylor. The NFL’s 2021 rushing champion has yet to play in a preseason game. That includes his rookie season in 2020 (COVID pandemic), ’21 (team decision), ’22 (team decision) and ’23 (ankle rehab/contract dispute).
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.