Colts’ Daniel Jones has discomfort in fibula, will play Sunday per Shane Steichen
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen discusses Daniel Jones health heading into Sunday’s game versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is still resting his surgically-repaired orbital bone fracture.
- Richardson is not yet cleared for football activities and has no firm timeline for his return.
- Coach Shane Steichen confirmed Richardson will be the backup quarterback once he is medically cleared.
INDIANAPOLIS – Anthony Richardson was eligible to return to the field as the Colts’ backup quarterback for Sunday’s highly-anticipated road matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, having served his mandated four games on IR for his surgically-repaired orbital bone fracture.
But coach Shane Steichen told reporters Friday what remains in Richardson’s recovery process.
“He’s resting his eye and making sure that’s getting fully healthy,” Steichen said. The Colts head coach was then asked if it was fair to characterize that Richardson couldn’t return to active football-centric workouts until the injury itself was fully healed.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s fair,” he said.
Richardson was seen by reporters in the locker room this week for the first time since his freak Oct. 12 pre-game accident – where an apparatus he’d tied a resistance band to snapped and hit him in the eye, requiring a trip to the hospital before the Colts’ game later that day at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals. Weeks later, Richardson underwent surgery to help repair the fracture.
The Colts continue to lack a firm timeline – at least publicly – for when the third-year QB might return to back-up Daniel Jones.
Steichen acknowledged earlier this week that the backup QB job would indeed be Richardson’s when – and if – his injury fully heals this year.
“Yeah, (he’ll be back) if he gets cleared by the doctors,” Steichen said.
In Richardson’s absence, the Colts elevated rookie QB Riley Leonard to No. 2 on the depth chart, and the team signed Brett Rypien to the practice squad as additional insurance.
Thursday, Jones popped up on the Colts’ injury report for the first time this season, deemed “limited” in Thursday’s practice with what was initially termed a calf injury. Steichen clarified Friday that Jones’ ailment was an issue with his fibula, but when asked whether it was some level of fracture, the head coach declined to clarify.
Steichen was quick to note that Jones practiced fully Friday and was “rolling” after taking a few reps off in the previous day’s practice with some discomfort that led to further medical evaluation to formally diagnose the injury. Jones was listed without any sort of injury designation for Sunday’s game in Kansas City, and Steichen told reporters Friday that the Colts had no plans to elevate Rypien to the active roster.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
