Not surprisingly, Colts GM Chris Ballard said that there won’t be any limitations on quarterback Anthony Richardson.
“I’m not expecting any limitations right now,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “None.”
Although Richardson would sit out the final minicamp practice back in early June, which both he and Shane Steichen made clear was nothing more than rest, the reason that this news from Ballard isn’t a surprise is because a few weeks ago, he said the same thing.
“He’ll be full-go,” said Ballard on the GM Re-Shuffle podcast back in June. “He was full-go all the way up until the last day of OTAs, and we had two heavy throwing sessions the two days before, and so we backed off a little on the last day.”
In addition to that, Richardson was a part of a group throwing session recently, with several members of the Colts’ quarterback, running back, and wide receiver rooms getting together for a “second minicamp,” as Richardson called it, in an effort for everyone to find their groove coming into training camp.
Of course, while Richardson is a full-go, everyone will be monitoring how his shoulder responds as camp and the upcoming practices unfold. But overall, the rehab process has been smooth sailing.
“We’re actually surprised there’s only been one day like this,” Richardson said after that final minicamp practice. “Everything’s been smooth sailing so far, and luckily it was the last day, so we’re not too worried about it.
When asked, Ballard would go on to add that he doesn’t expect Richardson to need any built-in maintenance days for his shoulder during training camp. And while the team likes what Richardson showcased last season, with the talent he has around him, he won’t have to be Superman either, which will help facilitate a Year 2 leap.
“We liked all the stuff we saw, but he’s still got to go prove it over the course of time, like any player does,” said Ballard. “You can be a flash, but he’s still got to prove it over the course of time. But we think we got a good football team around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to carry us.”