Stephen HolderDec 31, 2025, 02:57 PM ETCloseStephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.Follow on X
Graziano: Colts will see what Riley Leonard can give them in Week 18 (0:43)Dan Graziano and Mike Greenberg discuss the Colts’ decision to give Riley Leonard the start for Week 18. (0:43)
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. won’t be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s finale against the Houston Texans, ending his third NFL season in disappointing fashion.
“Oh, yeah,” Richardson said Wednesday. “No doubt. If I’ve still got a chance to play football, then it’s all out there.”
It’s unclear what the future holds for Richardson. If the Colts retain coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, it is likely injured quarterback Daniel Jones will be retained with hopes he will be fully cleared from his torn Achilles by the summer. That leaves Richardson, at best, as a backup in Indianapolis with little chance to compete for anything more. He might welcome a trade if the Colts consider it and there are suitors for the 23-year-old.
Richardson has been on injured reserve since October after a rod hit him forcefully in the face, causing an orbital fracture near his right eye, following a pregame mishap with a stretching band. He still has lingering vision issues but said his eyesight has been improving.
“But every day is going to be a day for improvement or healing,” he said. “Obviously, my eye’s not 100 percent, but it’s getting there day-by-day and I don’t really notice it on the field much.”
Steichen said he had a lengthy discussion with Richardson on Tuesday and informed him the Colts were not going to activate him to active roster even though he had been practicing for the past two weeks with a goal of making it back by the end of the season. Steichen cited “vision limitations” as the reasoning.
“It’s just a smart thing,” Steichen said. “Obviously, putting him out there with vision limitations [and] something happens, not a good idea.”
Richardson said he has not had issues seeing the field and has been working on the scout team, squaring off against the first-team defense during practice.
“Some plays, I catch myself out there throwing it, fitting it into spots that I was doing before,” he said. “So that definitely feels good. But there were a few plays that the defense did get me. It kind of hit me, like, ‘Man, maybe I should have did this or that.’ But it’s just football. I’ve been making plays out there, and I’m excited to be back out there for sure.”
Graziano: Colts will see what Riley Leonard can give them in Week 18 (0:43)Dan Graziano and Mike Greenberg discuss the Colts’ decision to give Riley Leonard the start for Week 18. (0:43)
Dan Graziano and Mike Greenberg discuss the Colts’ decision to give Riley Leonard the start for Week 18. (0:43)
CloseStephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.Follow on X