Anthony Richardson wants out of Indianapolis. The former No. 4 overall pick officially requested a trade from the Colts. The team has had some calls about him but nothing has come close to a deal. The market for a former top 5 pick at quarterback who has not produced as a pro is, as you might expect, soft.
This is a brutal situation for everyone. Richardson is 23 years old. He was supposed to be the future of the Colts franchise. He had elite athletic tools. He was the kind of dual threat quarterback who can change a game with his legs. The arm talent was real. The processing speed was a question, but the upside was massive.
It did not work out. Injuries cost him most of his rookie year. Inconsistency cost him most of his second year. He lost his starting job to Daniel Jones. He has not played meaningful snaps in a while. The Colts moved on. Richardson is now a backup who wants to be elsewhere.
The trade request makes sense from his side. He needs reps. He needs a fresh start. He needs an offensive system built around his strengths. The Colts have not been able to develop him into a top quarterback. Maybe another team can.
The problem is the market. NFL teams are not lining up to trade for a quarterback whose first three years were a disappointment. Even a former top 5 pick has limited trade value when the production has not been there. The Colts are probably looking at a late round pick at best, maybe a conditional 2027 selection that becomes more valuable if Richardson starts games for his new team.
Where could he end up? The list of teams with quarterback questions is long. The Browns just made the Joe Flacco signing official. The Giants are in flux. The Saints have Tyler Shough as their starter but could use developmental depth. The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers but no clear long term plan. The Raiders are still searching.
The cleanest fit might be the Browns. Cleveland has gone through about a million quarterbacks in the past few years. They have no clear long term answer. Richardson would be a low cost flier who could push for a starting job if things break right. The cost would be minimal. The upside is real.
The Saints make sense too. New Orleans has Tyler Shough as the starter but he is not a long term answer. Spencer Rattler is on the roster but might also be moved. Adding Richardson as a developmental QB with a chance to compete would give them options. Klint Kubiak’s offense could potentially be tweaked to fit Richardson’s skill set.
The other angle is the Colts internal situation. Indianapolis has Daniel Jones, who has played reasonably well. They drafted a quarterback in the later rounds. Richardson is the third or fourth string at this point. Carrying his salary for that role does not make sense. The team needs to move him just to clean up the depth chart.
For Richardson, the goal is just to find a place where he can play. He has not had a fair opportunity in Indianapolis the last two years. Whether that is because of his own play or because of how he was used is a debate. But he needs a clean slate. Some other organization will give it to him.
The trade probably happens before training camp opens. The Colts cannot have this situation hanging over them all summer. Some team will give them a future seventh rounder or a conditional pick. Richardson will get his fresh start. The first three years of his NFL career will be the part of his story he is trying to forget.
He is only 23. There is still time. The talent is still there. But the runway is short. The next stop has to work or the NFL might be done with him.
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.
