Anthony Richardson's back spasms will keep him from playing in the Colts' season finale Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium, bringing an end to the 22-year-old's second year in the NFL.

The Colts went 6-5 in Richardson's 11 starts. In those games, he completed 47.7 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions plus 499 rushing yards and six rushing scores.

Richardson missed four games due to injury (Weeks 5, 6, 17 and 18) and was benched for two games (Weeks 9 and 10) in a turbulent season that also saw him hit some remarkable highs – his late-game comebacks against the New York Jets and New England Patriots chief among those. He'll now head into an important offseason not only for him, but for a Colts franchise that's seen moments of brilliance from the 2023 No. 4 overall pick – but needs to see them more consistently.

"He's had some great moments, I tell you what. He really has," head coach Shane Steichen said. "Obviously, the injuries have been not great. Obviously, we want him out there all the time, but he has shown signs of greatness out there. He's done some really good things. But you continue to grow and develop as a young player. Last year he played whatever, four games it was, and this year he's been banged up a little bit. But you can see the flashes of what it can be, for sure."

Before Richardson and the Colts' offseason begins on Monday, though, there's still a game left to play. Richardson tried to get back on the field for Week 18, given playing in the season finale – even without playoff implications – was meaningful for him.

"I think it matters not only for him – the whole team, you know what I mean?" Steichen said. "We've got a job to do no matter what the circumstances are. We've got to put our best foot forward and try and win a football game. I think that's part of this league, is sometimes you go through these tough times through a season – obviously you're eliminated from the playoffs but you've still got to show up and do your job every day, be a professional about it. Meetings, practice – because you're still playing for something, right? We've all got jobs to do and we've got to go out and perform."

With the frustration, embarrassment and disappointment still lingering from Week 17's 45-33 loss to the 3-13 New York Giants, the Colts got back to work at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center this week emphasizing professionalism. That loss knocked the Colts out of the playoffs – "we (expletive) the bed another year, and it's frustrating," defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said – and made Week 18's game irrelevant for the AFC playoff picture.

But while processing another discouraging end to a season, Colts players recognized they still had a job to do in an unforgiving league where nothing is guaranteed, and no opportunity to play should be taken for granted.

"It hurts," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "I know fans have been extremely frustrated, rightfully so. It hurts a ton when you're trying to give everything you have. I feel like I gave my heart out there on Sunday and it sucks when you come up short in games that matter the most. But thankfully we got another opportunity and that's all I'm really looking forward to. We got another chance to play at home in front of the fans. And even though we ain't give them the season they deserve, maybe we give them the finish they deserve, and that's what I'm focused on."

The Colts' opponent, the 4-12 Jaguars, will have the same approach as their season from hell comes to a close. Jacksonville lost its first four games, then beat the Colts in Week 5; their only other wins have been over the Patriots and Tennessee Titans, a pair of 3-13 teams. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who signed a contract extension prior to the season, sustained a shoulder injury in Week 9, and when he returned in Week 12, he sustained a concussion on a hit by Azeez Al-Shaiir that got the Houston Texans linebacker suspended for three games. Lawrence has not played since, with backup Mac Jones stepping in for the final five games of the season.

While the only thing that'll practically change for either team on Sunday is draft positioning – something players absolutely do not care about – both the Colts and Jaguars will take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium expecting professionalism out of their players.

"We still got work to do," Buckner said. "It's another game on the schedule. We're all here, we're all professionals, and we gotta do our job, and that's to win the ballgame."