Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was not injured when he left in the first half of Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans.
No, the former first-round pick simply gasped, according to the CBS Sports broadcast.
Richardson was hit hard by Texans linebacker Jake Hansen in a scuffle in the first half before hitting the top of his helmet as if to call for a substitution from the bench. Many expected to hear about another serious injury for Richardson, who missed most of his rookie season due to a concussion and shoulder issue.
But upon learning that the second-year caller wasn’t hurt, just tired, many took the opportunity to express their frustration with Richardson.
Chief among the critics was a former Colts player: retired punter Pat McAfee.
Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was not injured when he left Sunday’s game.
Former Colts punter Pat McAfee (pictured) took issue with Anthony Richardson’s tapping
Richardson’s biggest critic was a former Colts player: retired punter Pat McAfee.
“I had never seen an NFL quarterback give up when healthy until I saw Anthony Richardson,” McAfee, a popular ESPN talk show host, wrote on X. “The quarterback is your franchise. The message he sends is strong and influential.”
Many fans agreed.
“I’m done with this experiment,” one wrote. ‘He’s not the answer, Pat. Even if he was, there’s no way he could be healthy for a full season.
Otherwise, Richardson’s day wasn’t much better. He completed just 10 of 32 passes, and although he connected with Josh Downs on a 69-yard touchdown, the former Florida star also had an interception and two fumbles.
The Colts briefly appeared victorious late in the quarter when defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo scooped up a Joe Mixon fumble and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown, only to have officials take it down at the Indianapolis 16-yard line.
The score would have given the Colts a 26-23 lead, but instead Richardson had a few more chances with the ball, none of which he converted.
Driving downfield with no timeouts on the final possession, Richardson wasted costly time on a late scramble and 14-yard pass to Trey Sermon over the middle of the field.
Richardson managed to spike the ball with one second left to give the Colts one last shot from midfield, but fumbled the ball on the play to seal the 23-20 loss.