Colts lingering questions: How's Anthony Richardson shoulder? Who's winning key position battles? (2024)

The Indianapolis Colts are officially on summer break. After wrapping up veteran minicamp last week, the Colts have several weeks off before they report for training camp toward the end of next month.

Unlike last year, the top storyline entering camp will not be a guessing game of when Anthony Richardson could win the starting quarterback job. The second-year pro is Indianapolis’ unquestioned QB1 and the player under the most pressure to lead Indianapolis back to the playoffs.

But before we get to the postseason or even the regular season, training camp comes first. That will be our first chance to see Richardson face an opposing team since he underwent season-ending surgery last October, with two joint practices scheduled against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 at Grand Park in Westfield, and one more slated for Aug. 20 against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Indianapolis’ full training camp schedule will be released June 26. As we wait, here are three lingering questions I have about Richardson and the rest of the team:

Will Richardson continue feeling ‘soreness’ in shoulder?

I’m only half-kidding when I say Richardson’s right shoulder might be the most important shoulder in Indianapolis. He underwent surgery for a severe AC joint sprain in October, began throwing again in February and was a full participant in most of spring practice. Richardson’s return plateaued a bit when he was limited on the penultimate day of veteran minicamp and held out entirely on the last day due to what he called “a little soreness.”

I’m not sounding any alarms just yet since Richardson did undergo major surgery, though his pain level is obviously something to monitor. Richardson nor Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen seemed concerned about his shoulder, with Steichen saying last week that if the Colts “played on Sunday, he’d be starting.” Regardless, there is a lot riding on Richardson’s right shoulder. Aside from the Colts’ top two draft picks, Laiatu Latu and Adonai Mitchell, no other starting-caliber players were brought in so far this offseason. The message is clear: Indianapolis is banking on Richardson’s development to be its biggest catalyst.

Richardson will need all of the offseason reps he can get to help Indianapolis end its three-year playoff drought and potentially win its first AFC South title since 2014, and his workload won’t get any lighter when he’s required to throw a lot more during training camp next month. If he is still missing days throughout the summer, then Richardson and the team will need to provide a much more detailed explanation of what’s going on other than “a little soreness,” because at that point, those three words won’t cut it.

Who will win key position battles?

The most notable position battle of the summer is third-year wide receiver Alec Pierce versus the rookie Mitchell. They’ll compete for the deep threat/WR3 role behind Michael Pittman Jr. and slot receiver Josh Downs. Pierce probably has a leg up right now because of his experience, but if I had to pick a standout player from spring practice, it would be Mitchell. He made at least one big play a day during rookie minicamp, OTAs and veteran minicamp. Shortly after the draft, Steichen noted Mitchell’s “rare ability to separate at the top of routes,” and it’s translated early in the NFL.

“I’ve seen him do a lot of things I’ve never seen a receiver do,” said Richardson, who connected with Mitchell on multiple explosive plays. “He gets open a lot. He has a lot of wiggle to him. He’s fast. He’s a big receiver. So, it’s like, ‘Just throw the ball to him. He’s going to go get it.’”

Five and dime. 🪙 pic.twitter.com/egvaL6iGT9

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 21, 2024

Other position battles to monitor:

• Nick Cross versus Rodney Thomas II at free safety

• Jaylon Jones versus Dallis Flowers at outside cornerback

• Jelani Woods, Mo Alie-Cox, Will Mallory, Kylen Granson and Drew Ogletree duking it out at tight end

Cross and Jones received the bulk of the first team reps during veteran minicamp, which may indicate they’ve taken early leads in those position battles. But I wouldn’t count out Thomas and Flowers, who were Week 1 starters last year.

The tight end depth chart wasn’t as clear, with multiple players swapping in and out of the first unit. Woods, who missed all of last season due to hamstring injuries, is the most intriguing prospect and offers the most upside. He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 253 pounds, and he can fly for a man his size. Steichen has hinted at the potential matchup problems Woods could cause if he remains healthy.

Woods may have a case to be the Colts’ TE1 if he has a big summer, while potentially clouding Alie-Cox’s future with the team. Indianapolis would save $5.9 million in cap space if it cut Alie-Cox before the season.

“I know what I can do. I know how well I can help the offense,” Woods said at veteran minicamp. “I know I can be a pivotal point in the offense, and I’m just trying to show that and earn the respect back, earn my spot back. Pretty much do whatever I can to show them, ‘Jelani’s here.’”

Will Colts sign a veteran defensive back?

Excluding any Richardson-related topics, this is probably the No. 1 question I’ve been asked by fans since the end of last season. I’ve even asked myself this question several times, and as a new season creeps closer, so does a definitive answer. It seems unlikely, at this point, that the Colts will sign a veteran free agent and instead roll with who they already have on their roster. That’s a lot of trust to put in Jones and Flowers at cornerback as well as Cross and Thomas at free safety, especially given their inexperience and/or lack of production, but Colts GM Chris Ballard has consistently and vehemently backed them at every turn.

For the sake of argument, I think if the Colts did sign a proven outside veteran, it would be a free safety before it would be a cornerback because the free agent market for the latter has really dried up.

Steven Nelson, 31, who played for the Texans last year and tied his career-high with four interceptions, just announced his retirement

Thirty-year-old Xavien Howard, who trained with Colts running back Jonathan Taylor earlier this year in Florida, was recently accused of sending a sexually explicit photo of a woman to her underage son, according to court records.

Stephon Gilmore, who starred for the Colts in 2022 before requesting a trade to Dallas, is perhaps the best remaining option. But he also turns 34 in September, and even as a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, it’s fair to wonder how much gas he has left in the tank.

The best win-now choice for the Colts, in my opinion, is either four-time second-team All-Pro Justin Simmons or three-time Pro Bowler Quandre Diggs. Both are proven difference-makers at free safety and would instantly elevate the Colts’ backend alongside strong safety Julian Blackmon.

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

James Boyd is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Indianapolis Colts. Before joining The Athletic, James was the Indiana Pacers beat writer for The Indianapolis Star. James is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and grew up in Romeoville, Illinois. Follow James on Twitter @romeovillekid