Colts QB Anthony Richardson is throwing again after shoulder rehab

Anthony Richardson is throwing a football again.

It's been a long and sometimes torturous four months of waiting and healing for the No. 4 pick in last year's NFL Draft. But he's followed the timeline he laid out in early January and is back throwing a football in basic workouts, as shown in a video that his agent, Deiric Jackson, posted to X on Tuesday.

Richardson has been healing an AC joint sprain he suffered in a Week 5 win over the Titans. It was just his fourth career game, and Richardson was rolled up on during a routine designed run in the second quarter.

Richardson spent the next week consulting with the team and outside doctors and decided that surgery was the best plan of action. It would end his rookie season after just 84 attempts, but it would allow him to rehab in order to be full-go for his first full NFL offseason, which is starting now.

“I’m not going to lie: I have been thinking about this day for a long, long time," Richardson said the day after the Colts season ended. "Just how the offseason was going to be for me – I had other plans. I wanted to actually just take some time and relax, but now the way that things are playing out, I’m 100% all-steam right now. The gas is all the way to the floor."

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He said he'd be headed down to Jacksonville again to train with Five Points, which prepared him for last year's draft.

"I’m pushing it because I’m trying to get back," Richardson said. "I’m trying to go get the playoffs, go get the Super Bowl rings. I just want to be great for this team."

Richardson showed flashes of greatness as a rookie, becoming the first quarterback with four rushing scores in his first three starts. He helped engineer a 23-point comeback against the Rams primarily with his arm before the team fell short in overtime.

"I’m going to tell you one of the things that really surprised me with Anthony because I was concerned about it: This guy is a passer," general manager Chris Ballard said. "Here’s this big, talented athlete. I mean, this guy is a legitimate passer, and I believe that. I think he’s going to continue to get better and improve the more he plays. But Anthony can play from the pocket and throw the ball accurately."

Those throws were just a snapshot of what this 21-year-old could be when healthy. Now, he's working on putting that upside into motion with a critical offseason.

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts QB Anthony Richardson is throwing again after shoulder rehab