INDIANAPOLIS – Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Tennessee due to a right oblique injury, and starting running back Jonathan Taylor will be sidelined due to a right ankle sprain, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen announced Friday. Taylor was the only player Steichen ruled out.
Surprisingly, Steichen did not rule out starting wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who practiced Friday after not practicing Wednesday or Thursday due to a back injury. Multiple league sources told The Athletic on Wednesday that Indianapolis was even considering placing Pittman on injured reserve due to his back injury, which would force him to miss at least the team’s next four games. However, Pittman – clearly being tongue-in-cheek – said his back has “never been better” on Friday.
“We still don’t know what course of action is gonna happen, but I’m just doing everything to put myself in the best situation to try and play because I want to be out there for (my teammates),” Pittman continued. “So, we’ll see what happens, but nothing’s guaranteed. Everything’s kind of still on the table.”
During the roughly 20-minute portion of practice that was open to media Friday, Pittman caught a few deep passes from Richardson while running routes on air, and he ramped it up with a few more catches in the end zone during a red zone drill. Pittman did not appear to be moving with any limitations, though he wasn’t taking any hits.
A bit of a surprise: #Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. (back) appears to be practicing in some capacity today. Here’s two deep catches he just made during routes on air. pic.twitter.com/qFuRhdE4lO
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 11, 2024
Asked if he could make his injury worse by playing, Pittman, who was officially listed by the team as questionable for Sunday, didn’t provide any clarity.
“Well, there’s a lot of things to consider,” Pittman said. “I can’t release that (information). But, I don’t know.”
Pittman didn’t start in Indianapolis’ loss at Jacksonville last week, but he led all Colts receivers with 62 snaps played and finished with five catches for 37 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season. He underwent an MRI after the game and understandably did not disclose the results when asked about it Friday. Pittman previously missed practice on Sept. 20 due to back and calf injuries, and he said Friday that his back “just flares up every now and then.”
Asked if his back has bothered him during games, Pittman quipped that, “I don’t feel nothing on Sundays.” He added that it would “be up to Shane” whether he plays or not at Tennessee. The 27-year-old, who’s been the Colts’ No. 1 receiver the last four years, has totaled 22 catches for 238 yards and one touchdown this season.
“I feel like I could still go out here and be effective,” Pittman said.
If Pittman is sidelined against the Titans, Alec Pierce said it will take a collective effort for Indianapolis to fill Pittman’s void. Pierce would likely see his role increase the most. The third-year receiver is already having a breakout season with 13 catches for a team-high 368 yards and three touchdowns. His 28.3 yards per catch rank No. 1 in the NFL.
“Just being more consistent, more confident in myself,” Pierce said of his overall growth this season. “Just knowing I can make the plays and playing with that swagger and playing with that confidence that I’ve had all my life.”
Second-year receiver Josh Downs and rookie AD Mitchell will probably shoulder more responsibility, too, though Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Miller said Ashton Dulin shouldn’t be overlooked.
Dulin has thrived as a gunner on special teams during his NFL career, but the former undrafted free agent has also logged 35 catches for 517 yards and four touchdowns through his first six seasons. Dulin had a 54-yard touchdown catch in Week 1.
As Pittman’s back injury clouds the Colts’ wide receiver room, their quarterback room is trending in the right direction.
Richardson said Wednesday that he feels “way better compared to last week” after not playing at Jacksonville due to a right oblique injury he suffered in the Colts’ Week 4 win over Pittsburgh. Veteran backup Joe Flacco, making his first start as a Colt, replaced Richardson in Indianapolis’ narrow loss against the Jaguars.
Unlike last week, when Flacco said he took the first-team reps in practice, Richardson appeared to be taking the first-team reps during the open portions of practice this week. The 22-year-old said he’s felt vast improvement in his right oblique, particularly when he has to rotate on a throw or run.
If Richardson does play, he’ll try to lead Indianapolis to its first AFC South victory of the season, and – perhaps more importantly for the Colts’ long-term plans – he’ll also try to finish the game under his own power. Richardson has left four of his eight NFL starts due to injury.
“Whatever I’ve got to do to take care of myself – if that’s sliding, diving to get down or running out of bounds – whatever I’ve got to do to stay on the field for my teammates, I’m going to do it,” Richardson said.
Steichen said Richardson “made huge strides this week,” in practice, but he couldn’t say the same for Taylor. The 2021 league rushing champ did not practice for a second straight week and will miss his second straight game as he nurses a right ankle sprain he suffered in Week 4 against Pittsburgh. After not missing a game due to injury through his first two years in the NFL (one absence in 2020 due to COVID-19), Taylor has now missed 15 games due to injury over the last three years.
Trey Sermon will likely replace Taylor in the starting lineup for a second straight week. Sermon finished with 10 carries for 38 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown in last week’s loss at Jacksonville. The 2021 third-round pick has notched 19 carries for 62 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns this season.
Required reading:
- There is no Colts QB controversy: Joe Flacco is good, but Anthony Richardson needs to play
- Colts DC Gus Bradley is in Year 3, and his defense is only getting worse
(Top photo: Todd Rosenberg / Getty Images)
