Five weeks into the NFL season, Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson has had to come out of three games and miss one game due to injury. This dangerous game of football does not discriminate against size. Richardson entered this season listed at 6-4 and 245 lbs, which for a quarterback, are measurements that suggest longevity.
So what is going on with Richardson and why is he struggling to take hits and stay healthy? Based on the three hits and moments in which Richardson had to leave games, it can be noted that these hits are just flukes. Richardson just so happens to get hit in the wrong spot and at the wrong time. The protection within a football players gear has holes and there are soft spots that, if hit just right, can lead to inevitable injury.
Let’s look at the first injury in which Richardson had to leave at the end of the game vs. the Jaguars in week 1.
On this play, you can see that Jaguars safety Andre Cisco kind of launches his shoulder near Richardson’s head/neck area. This type of hit won’t warrant a flag, but it is a hard hit to a sensitive area. It would be tough for any player to not feel a hit like that. In the heat of that play, I don’t think there is anything Richardson could’ve done to protect himself. He has two hands on the ball and his head down. Unfortunately, the DB just launches his shoulder towards Richardson’s head.
Here is the second hit that caused Richardson to miss the following game. This came in week 2 against the Houston Texans.
On this play, Richardson is on his way to the endzone, and from a different angle, it appears that he slows up just a bit which leaves the Houston Texans safety M.J. Stewart time to catch up and hit him up high. The landing is what is believed to have caused the injury. As you can see, the back of Richardson’s head hits the ground hard. I would make a case that this, too, is a fluke hit. Richardson just so happens to be at the wrong place and got hit at the wrong time, resulting is a big hit. I’m not sure what Richardson could’ve done to protect himself on that play.
This last hit is the most recent one that took Richardson out of the week 5 division matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
This hit is not towards Richardson’s head/neck area (thank goodness) but the impact of the defender’s blow is on his throwing shoulder which could be a serious long-term injury. On this play, it is not a big hit at all but looks to be the fact that LB Harold Laundry III just drives Richardson’s right shoulder into the ground. Again, there really is not anything Richardson could’ve done to protect himself unless he slid but the initial contact was not the issue; it was the 252 lb weight of Laundry planting Richardson’s shoulder into the ground.
Injuries happen all over the NFL but they are more noticeable when they happen consistently to a franchise quarterback. These injuries are certainly concerning, but it’s hard to fault Richardson for them. The issue going forward, though, is what can be done to better protect Richardson so he does not have to have guys hit him up high or drive him into the ground. This is something that the Colts will have to figure out and they will have to do it quickly if they want to sustain their young running quarterback.
The Lucky Colt 
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