Colts GM Chris Ballard: Anthony Richardson (shoulder) will be full-go in training camp

Anthony Richardson has had a long runway for his return to the NFL following season-ending shoulder surgery, so it was a bit of a surprise to hear he’d experienced some shoulder fatigue during offseason activities.

Some might have found it a bit alarming. However, Colts fans need not worry: Richardson is still anticipated to be completely prepared for training camp.

“He’ll be full-go,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said during an appearance on The GM Shuffle podcast. “He was full-go all the way up until the last day of OTAs, and we had two heavy throwing sessions the two days before, and so we backed off a little on the last day.”

Ballard’s explanation tracks with what Richardson would experience following surgery on his throwing shoulder. Even with months of time to rehab, a surgically repaired shoulder is still going to be tested more intensely in consecutive practices than a given rehab session, explaining the fatigue and soreness Richardson said he felt by the final session.

Richardson confessed his surprise at feeling the fatigue only then, as he had anticipated it would hit him sooner. The timing, however, was somewhat of a small win for Richardson in his journey back to the field.

That path will stretch through the rest of June and the majority of July before reaching training camp. There, Ballard and the Colts organization do not expect to impose any restrictions on their promising young passer.

That alone is an initial victory. We’ll address the remaining issues in July and August.