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Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out of Sunday’s season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, ending his season with two straight missed games due to ongoing issues with back spasms.
Richardson said this week he experienced severe pain from spasms that began on Christmas Eve night and caused him to have difficulty even standing up. Rehab and muscle relaxers did not have the desired effect, and Richardson remained sidelined.
This week, Richardson made significant progress, he said, but he was still experiencing issues that prevented him from practicing.
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“Just didn’t make enough progress this week,” coach Shane Steichen said.
Asked whether the injury will require surgery, Steichen said, “I don’t think it’s that severe.”
Richardson missed 13 games last season after a season-ending shoulder surgery. Sunday’s game will be his fourth missed game due to injury this season (he also missed two games during a brief benching).
It’s a suboptimal way to end Richardson’s second season.
“I think you’re going to go through some tough times in this league and it’s a tough league, but you got to battle through those things,” Steichen said of Richardson. “You’ve got to handle adversity in this league, and I think when you go through those types of situations that we went through this year, it’s going to make [him] stronger.”