The Indianapolis Colts are in an awkward spot with their quarterback position. Veteran Philip Rivers played okay in Week 15, but not enough to get Indy the win. Now there are questions about whether the Colts will roll with Rivers for the rest of the season. Those questions should only increase after Thursday's injury update.
The Colts have opened the 21-day practice window for QB Anthony Richardson, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Richardson has been out since October with an orbital fracture. He had surgery to repair the damage and there was always a chance he could return late during the regular season. Now he may get that chance.
Head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson still has some vision limitations, so he is not fully and 100% clear to play. But opening his practice window is a small bit of progress.
Indianapolis expected Richardson to be the starter for the 2025 season, but put him in competition with Daniel Jones. The entire NFL was shocked when Jones won the starting job. And even more so when the Colts entered their bye week at 8-2 thanks to Jones' leadership.
But Jones' season ended prematurely after suffering an Achilles injury against the Jaguars.
The Colts turned to the 44-year-old Rivers after both Jones and Richardson were down with injuries. Rivers went 18-of-27 for 120 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. It was almost enough to beat the Seahawks, but close will not cut it for the Colts.
Indianapolis is technically still alive in the AFC playoff hunt, but their four-game losing streak has put them firmly on the bubble. In fact, The Athletic only gives them an 8% chance to make the playoffs at all.
It will be fascinating to watch when Richardson can return to practice for the Colts. If he can get in some reps soon, he could challenge Rivers for the starting quarterback job.
Next up for the Colts is a Week 16 matchup against the 49ers. Indy should consider it a must-win game, otherwise their playoff hopes could be over quickly.
