Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol Friday and can get started Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams, mentor Shane Steichen mentioned.
Richardson suffered a concussion within the first part of a Occasion 2 win over the Houston Texans upcoming slamming his head at the turf as he scored his 2d speeding landing of the sport. He neglected the Colts’ Occasion 3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens however returned to apply Wednesday and was once a complete player in each and every of the date 3 workout routines.
Richardson flashed time and again in his temporary life within the lineup, which has been restricted to the primary six quarters of the season. He was the primary Colts rookie quarterback to hurry for touchdowns in each and every of his first two video games and is the 3rd quarterback in NFL historical past to report 3 or extra speeding touchdowns in his first two video games.
“Last week was a little rough for me,” Richardson mentioned of lacking the Baltimore recreation. “I love football and couldn’t go out there with the team, so it was eating me up inside. But I’m excited to be back.”
Richardson’s bodily taste of play games has develop into a subject of debate upcoming he left the Colts’ Occasion 1 recreation in opposition to the Jaguars within the endmost mins following a strike to the knee. In opposition to Houston, he suffered the concussion pace working the soccer and failing to await a strike from an oncoming protection.
“The injuries I’ve gotten so far, it’s nothing major,” Richardson mentioned. “I banged my knee on the turf. Everybody gets hurt on turf. And then I hit my head on the ground. I don’t think I should change the way I play. I think I play smart enough to know when to get down.”
Richardson self-reported his concussion upcoming first of all turning back the Houston recreation, announcing he felt just a little of a headache however sooner or later requested running shoes to test him out.
“I didn’t want to hurt the team and continue to play,” he mentioned.
On Sunday in opposition to the Rams, Richardson’s activity may well be harder than first of all concept. Middle Ryan Kelly, who additionally suffered a concussion in Occasion 2, didn’t cloudless concussion protocol upcoming practising Wednesday and Thursday, and his condition remainder in limbo. Left take on Bernhard Raimann evolved concussion signs overdue this era, Steichen mentioned, and may be a query mark for Sunday. And proper take on Braden Smith suffered a hand trauma that saved him out of Friday’s apply.
