Not in mix to start Week 17

Colts head coach Shane Steichen suggested Tuesday that Richardson (orbital) is unlikely to be activated from injured reserve this week while Riley Leonard continues to back up Philip Rivers, who will make a third straight start at quarterback Sunday against the Jaguars, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Richardson made enough progress in his recovery from the fractured orbital bone he suffered in his right eye during an Oct. 12 pregame for the Colts to clear him to practice last week, but the third-year signal-caller didn't advance beyond limited participation. As Boyd notes, Richardson hasn't regained full vision in the eye despite returning to practice, so until that happens, the Colts will likely be reluctant to activate him. Pending the results of Saturday's Chargers-Texans game as well as Sunday's action, the Colts could be eliminated from playoff contention heading into Week 18, in which case Steichen could be motivated to go in a different direction at quarterback. Leonard would still appear to be more likely than Richardson to draw a start in the regular-season finale at Houston, barring Richardson making more significant strides in his recovery from the eye injury.