Former Gator QB Anthony Richardson Sidelined with Bizarre Injury

Former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson has had his fair share of injuries in the NFL, but his latest may be the most random.

Former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson has had his fair share of injuries in the NFL, but his latest may be the most random. | Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Between his injuries and inconsistencies while on the field, former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson’s NFL career has gotten off to a rough start.

The former No.4 overall pick is faced with yet another obstacle, suffering an orbital fracture after injuring himself while warming up with a rubber band ahead of the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Arizona Cardinals. 

More info: Anthony Richardson suffered an eye injury doing band work in pregame warmups, source said. https://t.co/eevxu6TrSp

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2025

Since being drafted in 2023, Richardson has started 15 games for Indianapolis, but was named the Colts’ backup after losing a quarterback competition to free agent acquisition Daniel Jones during the offseason.

Last season, Richardson’s 47.7 percent completion percentage was the lowest among NFL players. Despite appearing in just 11 games last season, the UF product and Gainesville native still managed to be tied for the third-most interceptions (12) in the league. He finished the year with 1,814 passing yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. 

His accuracy issues are a carry-over from his time with Florida, which included one season as the full-time starter and another where he split time.

In 2022, his first and only year as the full-time starter, he was the SEC’s least accurate quarterback (minimum 300 attempts) with a 53.8 percent completion percentage and threw the fourth-most interceptions (9) in the conference. 

Despite his inefficiencies, Richardson flashed enough athleticism and overall potential to be viewed as a top prospect after his time in Gainesville. 

The Eastside High School product threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 654 yards and nine touchdowns during his final season at Florida. 

His most notable performance with the Gators likely came during Florida’s season-opener win against No. 7 Utah, when he was named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 168 yards while rushing for 106 yards and three touchdowns. 

Through three seasons at Florida, Richardson threw for 3,105 yards, 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while rushing for 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The former Gator started 11 games for the Colts last season, throwing for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 499 yards and six touchdowns. 

Since Jones took over as Indianapolis' starter, Richardson is yet to take a snap this season.

While Richardson’s career may not be going as planned, it’s worth remembering that he is still just 23 years old. If he’s able to improve his decision making, he could eventually reemerge as a starting-caliber quarterback.