It didn’t take long for an injury to pop up in preseason. Entering the most important season of his career, Anthony Richardson had a ton of questions that needed answering. However, the first signs of life haven’t been ideal for the Indianapolis Colts.
After a shoulder injury delayed his progression during the offseason, it took less than 10 minutes for the youngster to face the physicality of the offseason. One errant sack in their preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens left Richardson worse for wear.
How Was Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson Injured?
With 7:34 left in the first quarter, the Colts were lined up at the 35-yard line, trying to come back from an early 7-3 deficit against the Ravens. However, third-year defensive end David Ojabo put an end to that plan, coming in unblocked for a huge sack.
Richardson went down, and it was immediately evident that something was wrong. NFL insider Ari Meirov posted a clip of the unfortunate play on X.
This is the play where Anthony Richardson was injured — sacked by David Ojabo, who came in untouched. It appears to be an arm injury for Richardson.pic.twitter.com/v0JbEMWDL6 https://t.co/FEmDEMuEE7
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 7, 2025
While the exact details of the injury didn’t become clear immediately, the broadcast relayed that the Colts’ potential quarterback of the future was dealing with an issue in his right arm. As a result, Daniel Jones, who general manager Chris Ballard signed as competition for Richardson, was in the game far earlier than the team would have liked.
Soon, sleuths on X were ready to discern what the issue was. However, it was Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network who gave the clearest picture of what the issue might be. “Richardson trying to grip a ball on the #Colts’ sideline. Seems there was a finger issue based on the broadcast replay. Daniel Jones still in the game.”
Richardson trying to grip a ball on the #Colts’ sideline. Seems there was a finger issue based on the broadcast replay. Daniel Jones still in the game. https://t.co/jP8amAYx2z
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 7, 2025
Last season was a tumultuous one for Richardson. His 71.9 (C-) grade ranked 26th among 39 qualifying QBs, according to PFSN’s QB+ metrics. The former fourth overall pick finished just above Jones (71.7, 28th), who is serving as his competition for the starting job in Indianapolis.
With the Colts needing an answer for its future, a final verdict on Richardson could coincide with the chance to change their quarterback landscape entirely in a loaded draft class coming in 2026.
Can the Colts Find Fantasy Football Value With Daniel Jones at QB?
Richardson’s IMPACT+ grade for 2024 ranked 40th among all qualified QBs; his rolling 3-year average for IMPACT has been 41st of all QBs.
IMPACT+ for a quarterback measures a signal-caller’s true impact toward success for their respective team. A higher IMPACT+ grade means the more positive impact a quarterback should have in relation to his team’s success.
From clean-pocket EPA per dropback to adjusted completion percentage and much, much more, the factors into IMPACT+ for a quarterback truly indicate just how important each NFL QB truly is.
Jones averages 16 fantasy PPG for his career in games in which he drops back at least 35 times. It’s rarely pretty, but his versatility elevates his floor to the point where he could be on the streaming radar in the right spot.
The upside is capped, though it’s not nonexistent. The concern for the Colts’ skill position players remains the same as with Richardson under center. Jones was able to make Malik Nabers an asset in 2024 through sheer volume, but there isn’t a receiver on this Indy roster with a talent profile like that.
Until proven otherwise, Tyler Warren is the only pass catcher worth a look when setting lineups, and even he carries significant risk (the TE position just requires less to pay off the risk taken).
