Anthony Richardson Medically Cleared: Can The Colts Finally Get Off The Quarterback Carousel?

If you walked into a bar in Indianapolis two weeks ago and told the patrons that the Colts’ playoff hopes would hinge on a 44-year-old grandfather of 10 and a quarterback who lost a fight with a resistance band, you would have been laughed out of the building.

Yet, here we are. Welcome to the 2025 NFL season. It’s wild, and in Indianapolis, it’s about to get even more interesting. According to CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz, the news every Colts fan has been frantically refreshing their feed for has finally dropped: Anthony Richardson has been medically cleared.

That sound you hear is a collective sigh of relief from the frantic offensive coaching staff, mixed with the groans of defensive coordinators across the AFC South who thought they were done chasing the athletic freak of nature for the year.

The End Of the “Old Man Rivers” Experiment?

Let’s be honest for a second. The Philip Rivers reunion tour was fun. It was nostalgic. It was the football equivalent of finding your favorite old hoodie in the back of the closet—comfortable, familiar, but maybe a little tighter around the midsection than you remembered.

Watching Rivers trying to operate Shane Steichen’s offense against the Seahawks was like watching your dad try to set up a TikTok account. The mind is sharp, the spirit is willing, but the hardware just isn’t keeping up with the software updates. The Colts were severely limited. Anything more than 10 yards downfield was basically a Hail Mary, and mobility was nonexistent.

Rivers deserves a standing ovation for coming off the couch (and away from his high school coaching gig) to keep the ship afloat, but the NFL is a speed game. And right now, the Colts need horsepower, not just veteran savvy.

From The IR To The Huddle: Richardson’s Bizarre Journey

Let’s address the elephant in the training room: the injury itself. An orbital fracture caused by a snapping resistance band? That is the kind of freak accident that usually only happens to cartoon characters or people in infomercials.

Richardson has been shelved since October 12, watching his team go through a quarterback meat grinder. First, it was Daniel Jones looking like the long-term answer, only to have his Achilles and the hearts of Indy fans snap. Then came the Riley Leonard knee tweak.

Richardson’s return isn’t just good news; it’s a desperate necessity. The man is built like a linebacker and runs like a track star. He brings a chaotic energy to the offense that, frankly, Steichen needs right now. Sure, he’s raw. Sure, his completion percentage sometimes looks like a batting average. But he makes plays that 44-year-old men simply cannot make without pulling a hamstring.

What This Means For the Playoff Push

The Colts are 8-5. The playoffs are right there for the taking, staring them in the face like a defender in the open field.

The team now has a 21-day window to activate Richardson to the 53-man roster. The big question is: Do you throw him directly into the fire against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football? It’s a gamble. He hasn’t played a snap since October 5 against the Raiders. There’s rust, and then there’s “I haven’t seen live bullets in two months” rust.

However, the alternative is a platoon of a banged-up rookie and a semi-retired legend. Richardson provides the vertical threat and the ground game that forces defenses to stay honest. If the Colts want to be more than just a nice story that fizzles out in Week 18, they need #5 under center.

Is Richardson the Future Of the Franchise?

This clearance does more than just impact the next three weeks; it reignites the conversation about the future of the franchise.

Before his injury, Jones looked like the guy. He was steady. He was winning. Richardson was starting to look like a luxury asset the team might trade to a QB-needy team in the offseason. But the NFL stands for “Not For Long” for a reason. With Jones facing a grueling Achilles rehab, Richardson suddenly has a three-game audition to prove he’s not just an insurance policy, but the franchise cornerstone they drafted him to be.

The talent is undeniable. The arm strength is silly. The athleticism is off the charts. Now, he just needs to stay healthy and prove he can process the game as it happens. Buckle up, Indy. The roller coaster isn’t over yet. The band snapped, the old guy had his moment, and now the kid is back. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but at least it won’t be boring.