Indianapolis

Colts

Jones and Anthony Richardson are supposed to compete for the QB1 job in camp. While Richardson recently said he expects to be ready to go by camp, an offseason shoulder surgery has slowed his progress for the upcoming season, and opened the door for Jones to work almost exclusively with the first team offense. Jones has struggled to look like the player who was taken No. 6 overall by the Giants in 2019, but Richardson’s underwhelming performance in 2024 (1,813-8-12) that was headlined by a 47.7 completion percentage was far worse than any single season of Jones’ six-year career. The Colts will string this competition along for as long as they can — assuming Richardson is healthy enough to play in camp — but Richardson is well behind Jones at this point.

Richardson said he expects to be ready for training camp, which aligns with a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport from a few weeks ago that said Richardson is “expected to be fine” by the start of camp. Richardson downplayed his most recent injury, saying it was “not really even a bump in the road” and that he has “hit the ground running again.” The former No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft is expected to battle Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting job this summer, and is shaping up to be the underdog in the battle given last year’s performances and time lost due to injuries this offseason. He’ll get a fair shake at the job, but he’s far from a lock to be handed the keys in Week 1.

Richardson reportedly met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who believes the 23-year-old quarterback should be ready for training camp with “rest and recuperation.” Rapoport says the Colts “want health, and a real competition at quarterback, and it sounds like they’ll get it.” Richardson, apparently, still has a chance to claim the starting role over newcomer Daniel Jones. Hopefully, the rehab process goes smoothly for him. Richardson can score fantasy points with the best of them when healthy.

Downs missed some of OTAs with what the Colts called a “soft tissue injury” without providing any specifics. He appears no worse for the wear and is back at it as the Colts begin minicamp.

“The good thing is, he’s not going to need a procedure right now,” Steichen continued. Richardson’s second opinion with Neal ElAttrache looked to conclude that the quarterback should continue to rest and rehab the shoulder. We’re skeptical that Richardson won’t eventually end up under the knife — that’s just not how second opinions usually work out. But if you take the Colts at their word, we should expect Richardson to instead merely be well behind Daniel Jones in the quarterback competition by the time he’s ready to throw in training camp.

ElAttrache is the surgeon that performed the surgery on Richardson’s throwing shoulder in 2023 and is not a name Colts fans want to hear in the news regarding their quarterback. It was previously reported that no structural damage was found after a scan on his shoulder was performed Friday, but any lingering inflammation and soreness almost two years after surgery is noteworthy and frightening. The team does not believe he will require another surgery at this time. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes there’s “a very good chance” that Daniel Jones is the Colts starter in Week 1.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson was not expected to undergo surgery on his shoulder. However, Fowler adds that Richardson underwent a scan on his shoulder that revealed no structural damage. Per Fowler, Richardson has thrown, at times, 100-plus passes a day as he prepares for his quarterback competition with Daniel Jones. The shoulder injury, while inconvenient, appears to be mostly inflammation that should subside with time, allowing for a return to training camp with rest and relaxation. Already considered by some to be the odd man out when this summer’s battle concludes, this early injury won’t do anything to help Richardson gain an inside edge on Jones, who was already splitting starter reps in OTAs.

Per Chappell, Pittman “bumped knees” while running a route and is “sore but ok.” It sounds like Pittman is just dealing with a contusion of some sort, and he should be good to go in a week or so. Assuming you can stomach the risk of what increasingly looks likely to be Daniel Jones at quarterback, Pittman should be okay to select in best ball for now.

It’s hard to draw a conclusion on this one. Given the time of year, it makes sense for a player to leave practice as a precaution, should any minor tweak occur. Pittman is also tough as nails, having played through much of last season with a fracture in his back. There is no reason to panic at this time, though Pittman’s health is worth monitoring closely.