Doctor Explains Anthony Richardson & Josh Allen’s Similarities in Injury History

Josh Allen is one of the toughest QBs out there, especially considering that he rarely gets injured. He continues to impress everyone with his durability — missing just 4 games because of injury — in his six-year-long tenure with the Bills. Anthony Richardson, on the other hand, came into the league as one of the most athletic QBs, yet he has already missed more games than Allen did in his career. So, should the Colts Nation be worried?

Sports & Family Medicine Physician Dr. Jesse Morse recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, with a detailed comparison of their injury histories. According to his analysis, Josh Allen has suffered 5 injuries to his throwing shoulder since 2011. However, that hasn’t stopped him from being present for the Bills, missing just four games — most occurring in his rookie season.

In case of a major injury, Allen has suffered a right clavicle fracture twice and had surgery for it in 2015. He then suffered an AC Type I or II sprain in 2017, and twice in 2023, but has been able to play through it. Richardson, on the other hand, went down with a shoulder sprain in his first year.

According to Dr. Morse, Anthony suffered a much worse shoulder sprain. His type 3 strain led to a complete tear of ligaments at such a young age (22). Allen’s major injury was to his clavicle, from which he completely bounced back. Moreover, clavicle injuries heal better than Type 3 shoulder sprains.

Before entering the NFL, the Bills’ shot-caller missed 18 games through injuries. Of those, 12 were because of his clavicle. It seems Allen rehabilitated and bounced back better from his serious injury. Richardson, with a far more severe injury, might have to do something similar if he wants to survive the physical demands of the NFL.

The Colts thrust him into the starter role over Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger last season. However, the plan was derailed due to his injury. They had to rely on Minshew, who, unfortunately, couldn’t take them to the playoffs. Thus, the team requires him to be in top form and fully prepared to compete in the league, especially with 40-year-old Joe Flacco as his backup now.

Anthony Richardson Season Review

Much like Panthers QB Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson is expected to have a breakout year in his second season. Before succumbing to a season-ending injury, he showed glimpses of his potential, providing fans and pundits alike with an idea of what he can achieve — if he stays healthy.

However, according to NFL Films analyst Alex Rollins, his performance wasn’t enough to rave about just yet. Young faced criticism for his struggles as a pocket passer and his inability to read coverage quickly. While Richardson didn’t get as much game time as the Panthers’ QB; his limited exposure in the NFL revealed deficiencies he hadn’t overcome since college.

He only had 59% passing accuracy, ranking 31st and worse than Young. Though he didn’t make enough passes to strengthen his case, his misses tell us a story. He frequently missed his targets, either throwing over or throwing short.

Despite being open on numerous opportunities, Richardson failed to execute deep passes, ranking only 34% in this category. What’s the point of a strong arm if you can’t throw a 70-yarder when your team needs it?

However, one great thing about Richardson was his composure in the pocket. Despite his athletic ability to extend plays through his legs, he was calm and collected in the pocket and showed he could get the ball out quickly when blitzed.

Anthony Richardson possesses so many good qualities and has a high ceiling if he improves his gameplay and stays healthy. There are high expectations for him to match the quarterbacking standards of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. However, while expectations are inevitable, it’s important to temper them, as he has yet to achieve significant milestones.