Anthony Richardson Trade Rumors Pick Up Steam: Which NFL Teams Are Calling the Colts?
Anthony Richardson trade rumors are picking up serious steam in the lead-up to training camp, and the Indianapolis Colts are reportedly listening to offers on the young quarterback. The 2023 fourth overall pick has not lived up to his draft slot, and the front office is being forced to confront whether the experiment is salvageable.
Richardson, 24, has played in only 20 games since being drafted. The injury history is brutal. The decision-making has been wildly inconsistent. The accuracy has not improved at the rate the Colts hoped. Indianapolis spent another offseason bringing in veteran competition, and Richardson is now firmly in a battle for the starting job.
The teams reportedly calling Indianapolis include several quarterback-needy franchises. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who continue to search for stability at the position, have been the most aggressive. The New York Giants are exploring options behind Russell Wilson and a young roster. The Cleveland Browns are considering whether Richardson would be an upgrade or just a different flavor of the same problem.
The pitch on Richardson is upside. He’s still 24. He has the rarest physical tools in the league. He can throw the ball through a wall. He can run a 4.43 forty. The flashes have been undeniable. The 2023 highlights against the Colts were the kind of plays that made you believe he could be a top-five quarterback if everything clicked.
The case against him is the body of work. The completion percentage hovers around 50 percent. He’s never finished a season healthy. The pre-snap reads have been a constant issue. He gets baited into bad throws against zone coverage. The throwing platforms break down at the first sign of pressure.
Colts GM Chris Ballard is in a difficult spot. He used the No. 4 overall pick on Richardson. He invested in the development. He gave him every chance to win the job. Trading him now means admitting the draft pick was a mistake, and Ballard has built his reputation on hitting in the first round. The ego is real.
The trade value of Richardson is a fraction of what it would have been a year ago. The Colts would be lucky to get a third-round pick in return. That price is just low enough to interest quarterback-desperate teams who want to take a low-risk swing at a developmental project with elite physical traits.
The Steelers are the most logical landing spot. Mike Tomlin has shown a willingness to develop unconventional quarterbacks. The roster around the position is strong. The fan base is desperate for a long-term answer at quarterback. Richardson plus Tomlin’s coaching is the kind of marriage that either produces a Pro Bowl quarterback or finally ends the experiment for good.
For the Colts, a trade clears the deck for Daniel Jones or whoever else wins the job in camp. The quarterback room becomes simpler. The expectations become more reasonable. Indianapolis pivots toward winning now with a stable veteran, even if the ceiling is lower.
The trade isn’t likely to happen until late summer, when injury situations across the league force teams to make decisions. If Richardson is moved, expect it after the preseason games when the Colts can showcase what he has left. The bidder pool will tell us whether the football world still believes the upside is real, or whether the experiment is officially over.
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.
