The Colts' Richardson is well on his way to playing; Pittman could do it too

INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts are dealing with mixed injury news regarding three of their key offensive players ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson (oblique) is preparing to return to the lineup, while receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is surprisingly questionable and running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) has been ruled out.

Richardson, who missed last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, is on track to play after participating in the last three practices. Coach Shane Steichen said Richardson “has certainly made a lot of progress this week.”

Richardson was seen this week throwing on the run and making aggressive moves during practice, something he did not do last week during portions of practice open to the media. He also took the most snaps on the first-team offense, according to a team source. Substitute Joe Flacco took care of all starter replacements in last week's training sessions.

In a surprising development, Pittman practiced Friday after it was announced earlier in the week that he may have to miss several games due to a back injury. Pittman has been dealing with an unspecified issue for several weeks, but it was exacerbated in the game against Jacksonville.

Earlier this week, a team source indicated that Pittman's placement on injured reserve was discussed but not finalized. Two days later, Pittman caught passes and running routes during individual drills in practice. He is not ruled out for Sunday.

“I want to be there for everyone (in the locker room),” Pittman said. “So, we’ll see what happens. But nothing is guaranteed. Everything is still kind of on the table.”

Steichen said, “He's feeling really good, so we'll see where this goes.”

Pittman has been the team's leading receiver each of the last three seasons, with a career-high 1,152 receiving yards in 2023. But he may have been slowed by the back injury this season. He has the fewest receptions per game (4.4) since his rookie season in 2020.

Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champion, will miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain after not practicing for a second straight week, according to Steichen. Backup Trey Sermon is expected to start in his place.