Anthony Richardson Was Charged With Marijuana Possession. The Colts Had Already Moved On.
Anthony Richardson Sr. has a court date in January, a backup job he cannot lose because there is nothing beneath it, and a contract that expires in about three months. The marijuana charge filed against him this week is the smallest problem on that list, and that tells you everything about where the fourth overall pick of the 2023 draft actually stands.
Hamilton County prosecutors in Indiana filed a Class B misdemeanor possession charge on Monday, Oct. 19, stemming from a traffic stop in Carmel on Oct. 12. Richardson was not arrested. He was cited for an expired registration and issued a summons. An initial hearing set for Dec. 9 was waived, and a bench trial is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2027, in Carmel City Court.
What the Documents Say
According to the probable cause affidavit as reported by ESPN, NFL.com and WRTV, a Carmel officer stopped a black 2023 Dodge Charger with an expired tag and a license plate registered to a different vehicle. The officer reported smelling marijuana. Richardson, 24, reportedly told the officer he had been smoking in the car because he did not want to smoke around his children, and that a small amount was inside. He was detained in handcuffs while officers searched the vehicle and found a jar of suspected marijuana and THC gummies in the glove compartment. The substances later tested positive for THC.
Worth stating plainly: he has not been convicted of anything. Outlets differ on the quantity and form of the gummies. The NFL has issued no statement about discipline, and no league review has been confirmed by a first-tier outlet. His attorney, James Voyles, declined to comment. Richardson himself has said nothing.
The Colts said only this: “We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Richardson and are currently gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time.”
The Part That Actually Ends His Colts Career
On Friday, Shane Steichen was asked whether Richardson is permanently the backup. “Right now he is,” he said. “Yes.” On the incident itself: “Yeah, I have conversations with all guys that have incidents, and I keep those in-house.”
Daniel Jones has taken every offensive snap this season. Richardson has not played a single one in 2026, and has not played in a game since Oct. 5, 2025. He was named QB2 on Sept. 3, ahead of Riley Leonard. That is the whole story of his year.
The paper trail is worse than the depth chart. Indianapolis declined his fifth-year option on April 30, walking away from a 2027 salary of $22.483 million rather than paying it. His four-year, $33.99 million rookie deal runs out after this season, and he becomes a free agent. He requested a trade in February and was given permission to seek one. No team took him.
A Career That Never Got Going
Richardson has 17 career games and 15 starts: 50.6 percent completions, 11 touchdowns, 13 interceptions. His 2024 season produced a 47.7 percent completion rate, the worst among NFL starters that year, with eight touchdowns and 12 picks. A shoulder injury ended his rookie year after four games. A fractured orbital bone, suffered when a stretching band broke, cost him most of 2025.
The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Oct. 19, the same day the charge was filed, at 2-4. Ballard drafted Richardson. Both are now gone from the plan, one formally and one in every way that matters. Indianapolis plays at 5-0 Minnesota on Sunday with Jones under center, and the quarterback who was supposed to be the franchise will watch it in a baseball cap.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
