NFL training camps aren’t always about what is happening as much as what is not going on each day.
While conditioning and competition for playing time or in some cases even a roster slot generally tends to grab whatever headlines evolve from these relatively scripted workouts, occasionally there are some underlying factors that can go unnoticed and without mention.
Case in point with Indianapolis Colts second year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who last year underwent season ending surgery to repair the acromioclavicular joint in his throwing shoulder and still hasn’t shown the arm strength he demonstrated prior to the injury.
To date in camp, Richardson has shown the incredible athleticism that convinced the Colts organization to select him fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, but his throwing reps in practice have been reduced to short, quick releases and not the deep vertical game that is clearly an important component of football today.
The real question here is what does the Colts organization know that you as season ticket holders do not? The surgeon that l reached out to for clarification of how these injuries heal and what the chances of a world class athlete such as Richardson achieving a complete recovery felt that without the benefit of seeing his radiological images it’s definitely very hard fully and accurately access his case.
“Many patients recover completely provided they rehab adequately and do not place undue strain on the joint prematurely” stated an accomplished and respected surgeon in the I.U. Health System who clearly preferred to remain anonymous about his comments.
What I took from his brief yet candid perspectives was that a well-conditioned athlete receiving the best medical care possible should be a great candidate to recover fully and again perform at a high level.
When pressing the good Doctor for a typical timeline for an injury of this nature to recover, he declined to predict such without having complete information in regards to the severity of the injury and then reminded me about the fact that all patients are potentially different in terms of their overall recovery.
Obviously younger patents in overall good health clearly have distinct advantages over an old guy such as myself, but the general consensus of our conversation was Anthony Richardson could very well recover completely and once again sling the pigskin down the field without pain.
Call me pessimistic if you like, but the fact remains this incredibly talented individual has yet to show the capability of throwing the football deep and that’s a huge problem for the Indianapolis Colts.
You could say my concerns are premature and the medical experts involved have it under control.
While l would always respect their well-earned advanced degrees and certifications accordingly, this is the same organization that failed to provide total transparency regarding Peyton Manning’s neck and Andrew Luck’s shoulder, so in my humble opinion, the jury is still out on this rather important matter.
Richardson can beat opposing defenses with his legs and that’s a beautiful thing. This young man showed us a rather tantalizing but small sample size of just what he’s capable of last season and that’s what everyone is expecting again.
I contend he’ll need a healthy throwing shoulder to do just that.
Danny Bridges, who would have looked rather dapper in medical scrubs along with one of those snazzy long white coats that surgeons wear, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
