Anthony Richardson, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, suffered a serious orbital fracture around his right eye during a pregame warmup incident in 2025 and has been sidelined since, with his 2025 season ending on injured reserve and his future in Indianapolis now uncertain but still alive.

What actually happened

  • In October 2025, a stretching/medical band reportedly snapped or broke during pregame warmups and a rod hit Richardson in the face, causing an orbital fracture near his right eye.
  • The injury led to surgery and lingering vision problems, particularly with tracking the ball and even cleanly catching snaps during rehab.
  • Because of these vision limitations, the Colts kept him on injured reserve and decided not to activate him for the final game of the 2025 season.

His current status (latest news)

  • As of early January 2026, Richardson remains on injured reserve but is described as being ahead of schedule in some aspects of his physical recovery.
  • Team staff and reporters note that while his eye is “not 100%,” his eyesight is improving day by day, and he has been able to throw and participate in some practice work, including scout‑team reps.
  • Public comments from his camp suggest optimism that the eye/vision issues will not be a long‑term career-ending problem and should continue to improve before the next season.

Future with the Colts

  • The Colts have other quarterback commitments (including Daniel Jones coming off an Achilles injury), which likely puts Richardson no higher than a backup on the initial 2026 depth chart if he stays in Indianapolis.
  • Given his limited availability (only appearing in a fraction of possible games during his first three seasons) and the team’s shifting plans, there is open speculation that he could either have to fight hard to win the starting job or potentially be traded for a fresh start.
  • Despite this, Richardson himself has publicly expressed confidence that he still has “no doubt” about his NFL future as long as he is able to play, signaling that he views this as a setback rather than the end.

Forum and fan discussion angle

  • On fan forums and social media, the “what happened to Anthony Richardson” conversation often mixes:
    • Concern over repeated “freak” injuries derailing what many saw as high-upside potential.
* Debate over whether the Colts’ roster, coaching, and support around him helped or hurt his development.

* Speculation that a new team and situation might be better for him if the Colts move on.
  • Some discussion threads also highlight that he is still very young for an NFL quarterback and could rebound if he finally gets a fully healthy season.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.