Anthony Richardson is still a member of the Indianapolis Colts, even though the former first-round pick requested a trade earlier in the offseason. Selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Florida product is an elite athlete with one of the strongest arms in football. Based on raw talent alone, he has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in football. Unfortunately, he has yet to put it all together. Injuries limited him to just four games as a rookie, and his 2024 season left a lot to be desired. Starting and appearing in 11 games, Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
The Colts brought in Daniel Jones to compete for the starting job in 2025, and he ultimately beat out Anthony Ricardson and had perhaps the best season of his career. Unfortunately, Jones suffered an Achilles injury midway through the season, but Richardson has already suffered a freak eye injury that kept him sidelined. With sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard also battling an injury, Indianapolis had no choice but to bring Philip Rivers out of retirement. This appeared to be the end of the road for Richardson, but he’s changed his tone entering OTAs.
“I signed a contract,” Richardson said in a recent interview. “I’m still on this team regardless, before the trade stuff. I’ve got an obligation to this team to come out here and play and perform, be ready to play if they need me. I don’t think it’s weird or awkward…I’m not really focused on [getting traded] right now. I’m just trying to make sure I’m getting healthy, keeping everything up there in the mind sharp.”
Anthony Richardson Backpedals After Trade Request
The biggest reason Anthony Richardson is still a Colt is likely because nobody else wanted him. While his potential is through the roof, his actual on-field production has left a lot to be desired. Seeing as he’s now entering the final year of his rookie contract, nobody wants to trade anything for a player who will ultimately reach the open market in one season.
Just about every team that could be interested in Anthony Richardson has already addressed the quarterback position. The Arizona Cardinals rolled the dice on third-round pick Carson Beck, the Los Angeles Rams found their quarterback of the future in Alabama’s Ty Simpson, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will let Penn State’s Drew Allar back up Aaron Rodgers in 2026 and give him a shot to take the starting job in 2027.
Ironically, Richardson’s best shot of keeping a starting job could be with the Indianapolis Colts. Daniel Jones is already practicing after tearing his Achilles tendon midway through the season, but nobody knows how he’ll look in game action. Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers both tore their Achilles in 2023, and neither quarterback ever recaptured their previous form. If Jones struggles and Richardson wins the backup job, he might make some starts down the stretch.
Of course, Anthony Richardson will actually need to win the backup job. While he only made one start last year, sixth-round pick Riley Leonard showed some interesting potential during his limited action. In total, the rookie completed 39 of his 67 attempts for 415 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. If he makes the Year 2 leap, he could beat out Richardson for the backup job.
