Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's status for Sunday's game in Jacksonville is to be determined due to an oblique injury, while running back Jonathan Taylor was sidelined with a right ankle sprain, coach Shane Steichen said Friday.

Steichen also ruled out two other starters: defensive end Kwity Paye (quad) and cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip). Both will miss their second game in a row. The availability of starting center Ryan Kelly (neck) is also still being determined. He didn't play last week.

Richardson played just 13 snaps last week before leaving the game in the first quarter after taking a hit to the right oblique at the end of a 14-yard run by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Joe Flacco replaced Richardson and threw two touchdowns in the Colts' win. The 39-year-old took the most first-team reps in practice this week as the Colts look to end their nine-game losing streak against the Jaguars.

Richardson completed 39 of his 77 passes (50.6 percent) for 654 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions this season. He also registered 21 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown.

The Colts preached that game reps were paramount to Richardson's development, even though he had a difficult time staying on the field. Richardson played in just four games as a rookie last year due to a concussion and a season-ending AC joint strain, and he was forced to miss four of his eight NFL starts due to injury. When asked about the people who have already called him injury-prone, Richardson demurred.

“I mean, it’s football. “I'm pretty sure if they get out of the house and come here and get hit by someone who runs over 20 miles an hour every week, then I'm pretty sure they're going to be sore and sick with injuries too,” Richardson said Wednesday. “So, people will talk. That's what people do. So I’m not necessarily worried, but I’m just trying to focus on getting better every day.”

Go deeper

Colts don't want to limit Anthony Richardson, but his body keeps giving them reasons to

As the Colts inch closer to a quarterback decision, they have already developed a game plan that does not include their star running back. Taylor suffered a sprained right ankle in the fourth quarter of Indianapolis' home win over Pittsburgh last week. He was tackled by Steelers safety DeShon Elliott and as he was taken to the ground, Taylor's right ankle appeared to twist beneath him. After the 1-yard gain, Taylor jogged off the field and the television broadcast showed him grimacing on the sideline. He didn't return and missed about the final eight minutes of the game.

Taylor has had a strong start to 2024, averaging 87.3 rushing yards through the first four weeks. He also averaged 4.8 yards per carry, two 100-yard rushing games and scored four rushing touchdowns.

Trey Sermon, a 2021 third-round pick, will likely replace Taylor in the starting lineup. Sermon only had nine carries for 24 yards (2.7 yards per carry) in the first four games, but the last time he filled in for Taylor and got extended snaps, he managed a total of 17 carries for 88 yards in a week ( 5.2 yards per run). 15 win against the Steelers last year.

Taylor previously suffered a right ankle sprain during the 2022 season, which caused him to miss six games. He finally underwent surgery in January 2023 and did not return to action until Week 5 of the 2023 season.

Taylor said Thursday his most recent right ankle sprain was not that severe, and Steichen said the team is not considering placing Taylor on injured reserve “at this time.” Taylor hasn't missed a game due to injury in his first two seasons (one absence in 2020 due to COVID-19), but he has now missed 14 games due to injury in the last three years.

Taylor, the league's 2021 rushing champion, is in the first year of a three-year, $42 million extension he signed in October 2023. The 25-year-old is the third-highest paid running back in the NFL in terms of annual salary. Only behind are Christian McCaffrey from San Francisco and Alvin Kamara from New Orleans.

Taylor ranks third in Colts history with 4,921 rushing yards in his first 57 games. He already ranks sixth overall in rushing yards in franchise history, behind Edgerrin James, Lydell Mitchell, Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Lenny Moore. James, Faulk, Dickerson and Moore are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Required reading

(Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images)