Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson injured his right throwing shoulder in his team's 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Richardson was hurt with just over 4 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter when he was tackled by two Titans on a 4-yard run. He took a hit to the left shoulder but appeared to land awkwardly on the right one.
Immediately upon being tackled he began rubbing his right shoulder and stayed on the ground while the trainers quickly came out to tend to him.
He stayed down for several minutes before making his way slowly to the injury tent. After being evaluated on the Colts sideline, he walked to the locker room with his right arm hanging down to the side as he tried to keep it immobilised.
The team officially ruled him out early in the third quarter.
X-Rays on the shoulder were reportedly negative and he is expected to get an MRI.
Gardner Minshew replaced Richardson and helped lead Indianapolis to a win - the second time this season he's done that.
In the Colts' 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2 on September 17, Richardson suffered a concussion when he took a hard hit to the head at the end of a 15-yard touchdown run. Minshew came in and threw for 171 yards and a touchdown.
He was unable to clear the NFL's concussion protocol and missed Indianapolis' win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 before returning for last Sunday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams - the first game of his young career he was able to complete.
Through five weeks of the 2023 NFL season, the dual-threat quarterback has shown glimpses as to why the Colts selected him with the fourth pick in this year's draft, but he's been a bit injury-prone.
In addition to exiting in the wins over the Texans and Titans, Richardson also suffered a knee bruise on a hard hit near the goal line in the final minutes of a 31-21 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Colts coach Shane Steichen said he could have returned, however, and he was taken out as a precaution.
Prior to exiting Sunday, Richardson completed 9-of-12 passes for 98 yards. He also ran twice for 5 yards and was sacked once.
On the season, he has passed for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and has rushed for 136 yards with four TDs on the ground.