Colts’ Richardson has orbital fracture from mishap

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts were going about their usual Sunday morning routines ahead of their 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals when a seemingly normal day became anything but routine.

Backup quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., before even leaving the locker room, sustained a bizarre injury while using elastic bands to stretch for the game. The incident left Richardson with an orbital fracture, according to coach Shane Steichen, and required hospitalization. A source told ESPN that Richardson was also expected to need stitches.

The specifics were murky, but the source said the incident happened when an apparatus players use to attach the warmup bands to malfunctioned, resulting in an impact with Richardson’s face. Richardson was inactive for the 31-27 victory over Arizona and could miss more time. No. 3 quarterback Riley Leonard is the primary backup «right now,» Steichen said.

«It was kind of a whirlwind,» quarterback Daniel Jones said.

All that was compounded by another pregame situation a while later when No. 1 cornerback Charvarius Ward accidently collided with tight end Drew Ogletree during on-field warmups, leaving Ward concussed and unable to play. Ward, who was backpedaling at the time of the high-speed collision, remained on the ground for some time before returning to the locker room with assistance.

«There was something in the air today,» running back Jonathan Taylor said afterward.

The pregame mishaps left the Colts unsettled, with players concerned for their teammates. With kickoff approaching, Steichen and team leaders realized the need to regroup as quickly as possible.

«It was a weird day, I won’t lie to you,» linebacker Zaire Franklin said. «Losing two guys that you depend on. Anthony, we depend on him in a pinch. And obviously, [Ward], losing those guys pregame was tough. It got to a certain point where, in the locker room, you see guys just whispering about what happened to the point where you’re like, ‘Hey, we’ve got a job to do.’

«I feel like myself, Shane, Quenton [Nelson], [DeForest Buckner], did a good job of getting guys back focused. It’s like, ‘Listen, it’s messed up. We’re praying for Anthony. We’re praying for [Ward]. But at the same time, we’ve got to lock in and take care of what we have to take care of.’ And thankfully, we were able to rally and get a win today.»

The Colts moved to 5-1 with the victory, becoming the first team this season to score more than 23 points against an Arizona defense that was fourth in scoring defense entering Week 4.

But the challenge was significant. The moments after the Richardson injury were particularly scary, teammates said.

«I didn’t see the exact thing that happened,» receiver Josh Downs said. «But I did see him over there and everyone gathered around him. We prayed for him. We kind of paused. Everybody was getting ready [for the game] but everybody just came over and huddled around him. It was a wild pregame.»

Meanwhile, the Ward injury left the Colts further depleted in the secondary, where they already were short-handed entering the game. His absence pressed undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards into action in his first extensive playing time. Edwards played 68 snaps after playing a career-high 17 in Week 5. The young secondary forced safety Cam Bynum to do some on-field coaching, he said, because that’s what the situation required.

«We had to double and triple check every single little thing,» Bynum said. «And that’s how it is when you’re playing with younger guys that haven’t seen as much playing time. You want to make them feel confident.»