INDIANAPOLIS – Last month, Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters that quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. was “still recovering a little bit” two months after the 23-year-old quarterback had been fully cleared to return to play football – a signal that Richardson continued to have lingering vision issues stemming from his fractured orbital bone he suffered in October.
Friday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters he noticed no shortcomings in Richardson’s capabilities stemming from the eye injury since his return to the Colts’ facility on Monday, but the Colts head coach stopped short of stating that the young quarterback’s vision had returned it’s pre-October state seven months after Richardson’s freak off-field injury.
“No, he’s been good. He’s been here for four days, but we’re just throwing right now. We haven’t done any team stuff, but it’s been good,” Steichen said Friday of Richardson, who joined the team for the start of Phase Two of its voluntary offseason program earlier this week that now includes on-field individual and team drills and walk-through work.
When asked directly if Richardson’s vision had improved since late-December, when he returned to practice for the final three weeks of the season but the Colts elected not to activate him, Steichen simply said, “Yes, he’s cleared to play.”
Whatever way Richardson’s vision may or may not be hampered, what’s now clear is this version of the former first-round pick is back and in line to compete for the Colts’ backup quarterback role with second-year QB Riley Leonard, who logged his first-career start in the team’s season-finale in January.
Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter steered clear of directly answering questions regarding the team’s depth chart at quarterback when speaking with reporters Wednesday, and Steichen gave little more insight.
“(Anthony) is back in the fold right now, and that part has been good. We’re going through fundamentals, details, out there throwing with guys. That’s where we’re at right now,” Steichen said Friday. “Obviously, he’s here. He’s going to get reps, just like Riley will get reps, but we’re in Phase Two right now, just throwing routes on air and doing walk-through stuff, and both those guys will get reps.
“Right now, it’s May, so we’ll see how it goes with all that, but he’s working here. He’s in good spirits, and he’s cleared to play with the vision stuff, so that’s good.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What Colts coach Shane Steichen said about the quarterback depth chart
Reporting by Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
