Anthony Richardson was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals after sustaining an injury during pregame warmups. The Colts’ backup quarterback injured his eye while doing band work, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
With Richardson out, the Colts’ new primary backup behind starter Daniel Jones is rookie sixth-round pick Riley Leonard, who has yet to play a regular-season snap.
Leonard — who last year helped lead Notre Dame to an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship — played well during the preseason. He started and played the entirety of the Colts’ preseason finale against the Bengals, going 15 of 20 for 189 yards that included a 59-yard touchdown pass to wideout Laquon Treadwell.
A former first-round pick, Richardson lost his starting job to Jones prior to the start of the regular season. During his first two seasons with the Colts, Richardson went 8-7 as the team’s starter but threw more interceptions (13) than touchdown passes (11) over that span; injuries and erratic play largely told the story of his first two NFL seasons.
A fellow former first-round pick, Jones has enjoyed a career rebirth this season with the Colts, who are off to a surprising 4-1 start.