Anthony Richardson has missed the Indianapolis Colts past two games with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder after also missing their Week 3 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Indianapolis is just 1-2 in his absence. However, there is an argument that they deserved to win their Week 7 battle with the Cleveland Browns. Colts owner Jim Irsay shared that the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft underwent successful surgery to address the injury while claiming that the league admitted that they cost his team a victory, tweeting:
URGENT NFL/COLTS NEWS:
🏈 #5 QB Anthony Richardson’s surgery today in LA was a success! It was a long procedure and his shoulder injury has been repaired. No new surprises were found during surgery – they just repaired what was expected. Anthony is doing well and thanks everyone for the support. (There is presently no date for his return.)
🏈The NFL admits and understands that they did not make the correct calls at end of Sunday’s Colts/Browns Game. I believe we need to institute Instant Replay for all calls, including Penalties, in the last two minutes of All Games.
Check out Jim Irsay’s tweet on Anthony Richardson and the Week 7 officiating errors below:
URGENT NFL/COLTS NEWS:
🏈 #5 QB Anthony Richardson’s surgery today in LA was a success! It was a long procedure and his shoulder injury has been repaired. No new surprises were found during surgery – they just repaired what was expected. Anthony is doing well and thanks everyone…— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) October 25, 2023
There is a lot to unpack here, as Irsay provided two updates in the same tweet. Anthony Richardson is not expected to play again this season after being placed on injured reserve and undergoing what will likely be season-ending surgery. While that plan has not changed, Colts fans will likely be thrilled to hear that his surgery was a success.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis fanbase likely won’t be thrilled with the latter half of the tweet. Although the NFL admitted to the officiating errors, it will not change the outcome of their 39-38 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 7.
On third and four, late in the fourth quarter, the Colts forced and recovered a fumble off a sack; however, a late flag came in for illegal contact. The call was questionable, at best, as it appeared to be initiated by Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper and come after the ball was already out. In the following play, Indianapolis was flagged for defensive pass interference on a ball that was thrown out of the endzone and uncatchable. The ball was placed on the one-yard line, setting up an easy touchdown for Cleveland.
Irsay’s suggestion that instant replay be implemented for all calls, including penalties, in the final two minutes of a game is unlikely to come to fruition. The league has been thriving, and slowing the game down, even with the result on the line, is likely not something NFL officials want to do. While it is unclear how the league will handle officiating errors, one thing that is clear is that something needs to change. Far too many games are being affected by these mistakes with no accountability.How did Anthony Richardson perform in his rookie season?
Anthony Richardson joined the Florida Gators as a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. After redshirting his true freshman season and serving as a seldomly used backup the following year, Richardson broke out in 2022. He finished with 2549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. While he completed just 53.8% of his passes, the Gators quarterback added 654 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 103 carries.
Despite questions about his accuracy, the Indianapolis Colts made Anthony Richardson the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In two full games and parts of two others, he threw for 577 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Richardson completed 59.5% of his passes while adding 136 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries.