ORLANDO - For the first time in five years, the Colts aren't consumed with a search for a new quarterback at the NFL owners meetings.

Instead, they can get excited about the one they have. They can dream about getting Anthony Richardson back on the field in just a few weeks after five months of recovery from season-ending surgery to repair a sprained AC joint.

"I think he'll be good to go for spring practice," Colts coach Shane Steichen said of Richardson. "Obviously, we've got to limit it and monitor it and don't go overboard, but I couldn't be more excited to get him back going again."

The No. 4 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft is on schedule in his rehabilitation from the surgery he had in October following an injury on a designed run against the Titans in Week 5. Richardson has been throwing a football in training sessions just north of this year's owners meetings in Jacksonville, and he's showing off his range of motion in the stands at Florida basketball games.

GO DEEPER: Chasing Tim Tebow, idolizing Tom Brady, fighting fires: Making of Colts QB Anthony Richardson

Richardson wanted to start throwing a ball in January, ahead of the initial recovery timeline the Colts came up with after consulting with a number of medical experts. The Colts are trying to hold him back, insistent that patience is critical following the issues they went through during Andrew Luck's tenure that preceded his shocking retirement in 2019.

"I lived through the last one and I learned a lot of lessons living through the last one. Forgive me for being a little cautious," Ballard said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I know Anthony has made some statements that it’s important to be ahead of schedule. We’re here to pull the reins to make sure we don’t get too far ahead of schedule and we’re staying with whatever the doctors are telling us."

Richardson had some electric moments in the four games he played, including leading a 23-point comeback in an overtime loss to the Rams. He became the first quarterback in history to score four rushing touchdowns in his first three games.

The injury stunted his development as a passer, which was built to be an ongoing process for a player who started just 13 games in college and completed less than 55% of his passes. Richardson completed 59% of passes as a rookie in just an 84-attempt sample, but he was trending upward before the injury, averaging 9.1 yards per attempt on his 37 attempts against the Rams and Titans.

In the process, he showed Steichen flashes of a future full package. He showcased the explosiveness with a deep pass to Alec Pierce even with three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald in his lap against the Rams. He illustrated the simple with an instantaneous dump-off to Josh Downs when the Titans forgot to cover him on a motion route behind the line of scrimmage.

"His limited sample size that he had in those first five weeks were impressive," Steichen said. "He made some plays that I've never seen guys make. To get him back going in training camp and to get him through a full season, I couldn't be more excited about that."

Steichen said that the Colts will still ease him into action, careful not to push the shoulder too much more than what it's gotten used to in these light throwing sessions out of rehab. This will be his first full offseason as a professional, and it's a critical learning process for a 21-year-old who still only has 17 starts above the high school level.

That tutelage will come from Steichen, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner, new passing game coordinator Alex Tanney and new backup quarterback Joe Flacco. But it will also come from repetition.

"Your accelerated vision and just getting in the huddle, for one, is big. You've heard the same words. You've heard the same play calls or a version of them. So I think that process is going to speed up," Steichen said. "... As you get going in an offense and understand it and learn it better, it's going to be great for him."

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him at natkins@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Anthony Richardson expected to be 'good to go' for spring practices