Anthony Richardson expected to miss Gasparilla Bowl after knee procedure

Florida is expected to be without Anthony Richardson when it faces UCF at the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23 after the quarterback confirmed a report by The Gainesville Sun that he recently underwent a procedure on his right knee.

Richardson said that he tore his meniscus in high school and never allowed it to fully heal in a reply to a post by All Gators on Instagram. He tweaked it earlier in the year in a dancing injury that kept him out of the matchup against South Carolina and then tore it off the bone playing against Florida State.

The knee surgery has Richardson in a soft cast and he’s been seen using crutches. Emory Jones should be under center for Florida against UCF with freshman Carols Del Rio-Wilson as his backup.

Richardson had a few incredible games to start the year, but turnovers became a problem as the redshirt freshman found himself playing against teams such as Georgia later the year. Still, his explosiveness was enough to earn him a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team.

Florida could have its next great quarterback on deck if Richardson can stay healthy. He missed time earlier in the year with a hamstring injury and has played through discomfort in the past.

Repairing a nagging injury is the first step to getting a healthy AR-15 back on the field for Florida. Richardson missing the bowl game to focus on long-term health might hurt the Gators in a few weeks, but it will help them next season when they need him most.

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